Bengaluru: The Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday filed a 750-page chargesheet against former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl.
Well-placed sources confirmed to DH that Yediyurappa, 81, 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).
Along with Yediyurappa, Arun YM, Rudresh M and G Mariswamy were named as accused two, three and four, respectively. The three were charged under IPC 204 and 214.
Rudresh is a BJP leader from Ramanagara district and the former chairman of Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL), while Mariswamy, another BJP leader and relative of Yediyurappa, was a former president of Bangalore Urban Zilla Panchayat. Arun was the personal assistant (PA) of Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra, as per the survivor.
Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Ashok Nayak told DH that the chargesheet was filed at around 4.30 pm at Bengaluru's Fast Track Special Court (FTSC-1) (Special Court for the trial of cases under the POCSO Act). A total of 74 witnesses, including the minor, were listed by the investigators.
The minor’s 54-year-old mother filed a complaint at the Sadashivanagar police station on March 14, 2024, accusing Yediyurappa of sexually assaulting her 17-year-old daughter at his house in northern Bengaluru's Dollars Colony on February 2 when they visited him to seek help in another abuse case and other matters. While Yediyurappa denied the allegations, the Karnataka government transferred the case booked under the POCSO Act and the IPC to the CID on March 15.
The survivor recorded her statement before the magistrate on March 26, while the former CM appeared before the CID for the first time on April 12 where the probe team collected his voice samples.
On May 26, the survivor’s 54-year-old mother died at a Bengaluru hospital due to lung complications. On June 10, the survivor’s brother moved the High Court seeking a speedy probe, while the same day the CID issued a notice to Yediyurappa to appear for questioning on June 12 at 10.30 am.
On June 13, the Additional City Civil and Sessions and Fast Track Special Court (FTSC-1) issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the former CM even as he replied to the CID notice claiming that he would appear on June 17 as he was in New Delhi for a pre-decided programme.
On June 14, the High Court ordered the CID to not take “coercive measures” against the former CM and directed him to appear before the probe team on June 17. Yediyurappa was questioned for over three hours by the CID on June 17. Yediyurappa had also filed another petition challenging the entire proceedings initiated against him, which is pending before the High Court.