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POCSO case: Bengaluru court asks ex-Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa to appear on July 15
The summons were issued on Thursday, after the Karnataka Police's CID had filed a chargesheet against Yediyurappa on June 27
A Bengaluru court has issued a summons to former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, asking him to appear before it on July 15 in connection with a POCSO Act case filed against him. The BJP stalwart has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl.
The summons were issued on Thursday, after the Karnataka Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had filed a chargesheet against Yediyurappa on June 27.
On June 28, the Karnataka high court extended its interim order restraining the CID from arresting the BJP leader, after allowing the prosecution to file objections to the petition filed by Yediyurappa seeking quashing of the FIR against him.
What CID chargesheet said?
According to the CID chargesheet, the victim along with her mother had visited Yediyurappa at his residence in Bengaluru's Dollar Colony on February 2. The girl wanted help in getting justice in a previous case of sexual assault.
The chargesheet claimed that while the former chief minister was speaking to the mother, he was allegedly holding the daughter's right wrist with his left hand.
According to the chargesheet, the BJP leader called the 17-year-old girl inside a meeting room next to the hall and allegedly locked the door.
Yediyurappa then asked the victim whether she remembered the face of the person who had sexually assaulted her earlier to which the victim replied twice stating that she did, the chargesheet claimed.
After this Yediyurappa asked her what her age was then, to which she replied six-and-half; at this point he allegedly tried to sexually assault her, the CID alleged.
The victim reportedly pushed Yediyurappa's hand and moved away, asking him to open the door. The BJP leader opened the door and exited after putting some cash in the hands of the girl from his pocket, the chargesheet alleged.
Yediyurappa reportedly told the mother that he cannot help them and also gave her some money from his pocket. The chargesheet alleged that the ex-CM's aides Arun, Rudresh and Mariswamy went to the victim's house and brought mother and daughter to his residence.
According to the chargesheet, Arun then ensured that the victim's mother deleted the video from her Facebook account and her iPhone’s gallery. On Yediyurappa’s directions, Rudresh is said to have paid the alleged victim ₹two lakh in cash, the chargesheet alleged.
On March 14, the case was registered against Yediyurappa based on a complaint by the mother of the teenager.
Yediyurappa was questioned for over three hours by the CID on June 17.
The 54-year-old victim's mother, who had leveled the charge against Yediyurappa, died at a private hospital in May, due to lung cancer.
While denying charges against him, Yediyurappa said he will fight the case legally.
(With PTI inputs)
