Bengaluru court takes fresh cognisance of chargesheet against B S Yediyurappa, issues summons

A special court here on Friday issued summons to veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa and three other accused in connection with a POCSO Act case to appear before it on March 15. The court which handles cases booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act took fresh cognisance of a charge sheet filed by the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) against 82-year-old Yediyurappa, a former chief minister.

The Karnataka High Court on February 7 had directed the special court to consider afresh and pass appropriate orders on the CID's final report in the case.

The High Court had issued this order while partly allowing the petition filed by Yediyurappa challenging proceedings against him under the POCSO Act, and remitting back to the trial court the criminal case registered against him. It had also granted anticipatory bail to him.


The case was registered on March 14 last year based on a complaint lodged by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that Yediyurappa sexually assaulted her daughter during a meeting on February 2, at his residence in Dollars Colony here.

The CID on June 27 filed a charge-sheet in the Fast Track Court which had alleged that Yediyurappa and three other accused paid money to the complainant and her minor daughter "to buy their silence".

The charge sheet invoked section 8 (punishment for sexual assault) of POCSO Act, 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.

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

The 54-year-old complainant died at a private hospital here in May last year, due to lung cancer.