Hearing on POCSO case against Yediyurappa adjourned to 19 September

The Karnataka High Court on Monday, 9 September, adjourned to 19 September the hearing on a petition filed by former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa seeking quashing of a POCSO case against him.

The court also extended its interim order restraining the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the case, from arresting the veteran BJP leader.

"The learned counsel (for respondent CID) Ashok Naik submits that the learned senior counsel professor Ravivarma Kumar has been appointed as the special public prosecutor in the case at hand in terms of an order of the state government dated 3-09-2024. The learned counsel submits that the senior counsel would be briefed if ten days time is granted, and at the request of the counsel for the respondent list this matter on 19 September," justice M. Nagaprasanna said.

He said, "Interim order/protection shall continue till the next date of hearing."

The CID on 27 June filed a chargesheet in the case at the Fast Track Court.

The CID, probing charges against Yediyurappa of sexually assaulting a minor girl, has alleged in the chargesheet that he and three other accused paid money to the alleged victim and her mother to buy their silence.

The 81-year-old has been charged under Section 8 (punishment for sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 204 (destruction of document or electronic record to prevent its production as evidence) and 214 (offering gift or restoration of property in consideration of screening offender) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The other three co-accused -- Arun Y M, Rudresh M and G Mariswamy who are aides of Yediyurappa -- are charged under IPC Sections 204 and 214.

The case was registered on 14 March this year based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that Yediyurappa sexually assaulted her daughter during a meeting on February two, at his residence in Dollars Colony.

The 54-year-old victim's mother, who had leveled the charge against Yediyurappa, died at a private hospital in Bengaluru in May, due to lung cancer.

Yediyurappa has denied the charge and said he would fight the case legally.