Yediyurappa requests high court to cancel POCSO case against him
What's the story
BS Yediyurappa, the former chief minister of Karnataka, has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking dismissal of a case lodged against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO). The case against Yediyurappa stems from a complaint lodged by a 54-year-old woman who accused him of molesting her 17-year-old daughter. The alleged incident took place during a meeting at his residence in Dollars Colony in February.
Allegations
Case details and investigation progress
Initially, the Sadashivanagar police handled the case, but it was later transferred to the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation. Yediyurappa first appeared before the CID on April 12. As the investigation was underway, the girl's mother died on May 26 due to lung cancer, after which the survivor's brother moved the high court on June 10, seeking a speedy probe. The same day, the CID summoned Yediyurappa to appear for questioning on June 12.
CID
750-page chargesheet against Yediyurappa
On Thursday, the Karnataka CID filed a 750-page chargesheet against Yediyurappa. The chargesheet was filed in Bengaluru's Fast Track Court 1 for POCSO Act, 2012, cases. The chargesheet also names 74 people as witnesses against Yediyurappa and his aides YM Arun, M Rudresh, and G Mariswamy. The trio have been accused of deleting evidence and attempting to shield the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader.
Denial
Yediyurappa denies allegations, investigation continues
Yediyurappa has categorically denied the charges and said he would fight the case legally. "People would teach a lesson to those indulging in conspiracies against me," he said. He has filed another plea challenging the entire proceeding initiated against him, which is currently pending in the high court. Meanwhile, the court has agreed to hear Yediyurappa's anticipatory bail plea on Friday.