Temporary relief to former Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa in POCSO case

By Vinaykumar Patil | First Published Jun 14, 2024, 4:53 PM IST

Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was granted temporary relief by the High Court in a POCSO case involving alleged sexual harassment of a minor girl. Initially issued a non-bailable warrant after missing a hearing, the CID sought his arrest. Public outcry followed accusations and legal proceedings initiated by the minor's mother.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has been temporarily relieved by Karnataka High Court in the POCSO case. He was issued a non-bailable warrant from 1st Fast-track court yesterday. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had appealed to the court seeking NBW to arrest the former CM.

The High Court has issued an order not to take any coercive action until the next hearing, recognizing that the former Chief Minister is at the resting phase of his life and facing natural health problems. The court noted that he was not a flight risk and therefore adjourned the hearing for two weeks.

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Initially, a notice was issued for him to attend the hearing, but he did not appear and applied for anticipatory bail in Karnataka High Court. However, the court rejected this application and issued a non-bailable warrant. As a result, the former CM is likely to be arrested by the CID in the case.

What was the case?

A minor girl, a victim of alleged sexual assault, along with her relatives, visited former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's house seeking legal assistance. Allegations surfaced that he took the girl into a room and sexually harassed her under the pretext of gathering information. Subsequently, an FIR was filed against former CM Yediyurappa. The state government entrusted the investigation to the CID. Following the submission of the case report to the court, which viewed the POCSO case with gravity, a notice was issued to former CM Yediyurappa to appear for the hearing.

The incident occurred during an encounter between Yediyurappa, the girl, and her mother, who sought assistance regarding a cheating case. According to police sources, the alleged assault took place during this meeting in February.

Legal proceedings were initiated by the Sadashivanagar police upon receiving the complaint from the minor's mother. The accusations against the senior BJP leader have sparked public outcry and raised concerns about the safety of minors in the state.

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