BENGALURU: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed a chargesheet against former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior BJP leader, 81-year-old BS Yediyurappa, in connection with a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The chargesheet was filed on Thursday at the Fast Track Court-1 for POCSO Act, 2012 cases in Bengaluru. In the 750-page chargesheet, 74 individuals have been listed as witnesses against Yediyurappa and his three aides—YM Arun, M Rudresh, and G Mariswamy. Along with Yediyurappa, the three have been named as co-accused for alleged destruction of evidence and attempting to shield the senior BJP leader.
Yediyurappa is alleged to have sexually abused a 17-year-old girl when she had gone with her mother to discuss a previous physical abuse case in which her mother wanted the senior leader to direct the CID to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The alleged incident occurred at his Dollars Colony residence in RMV II Extension on February 2 this year. The same details have also been mentioned in the chargesheet.
YM Arun, M Rudresh, and G Mariswamy are alleged to have brought the victim's 54-year-old mother and deleted the video she had posted on social media.
Yediyurappa has been charged with sexual harassment (IPC 354A), destruction of documents or electronic records to prevent their production as evidence (IPC 204), offering a gift or restoration of property in consideration of screening offenders (IPC 214), and section 8 of the POCSO Act.
It may be recalled that the Sadashivanagar police had booked Yediyurappa under Section 8 of the POCSO Act and Section 354A of the IPC based on a complaint dated March 14, 2024. The case was transferred to CID on March 15 by the state police chief, Alok Mohan. The victim's mother had died of lung cancer at a private hospital in Whitefield on May 27.
After Yediyurappa did not respond to the notice by the SIT, the special court to try cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Bengaluru issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him on June 13. The next day, the High Court halted his arrest and directed him to appear before the SIT on June 17.