Karnataka CID files chargesheet against Yediyurappa
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has submitted a chargesheet against former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa in connection with allegations of sexually assaulting a minor, as reported by The Indian Express.
Yediyurappa faces charges under Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, which mandates a minimum sentence of three years, extendable to five years for sexual assault of a minor. Additionally, he is charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code: section 354A (sexual harassment), section 204 (destruction of evidence), and section 214 (offering gift or restoration of property in consideration of screening offender).
The alleged incident occurred on February 2, 2024, when the minor and her mother met Yediyurappa seeking help for an earlier case of alleged sexual assault on the girl by a relative. A police case was registered on March 14, 2024, in Bengaluru, and the case was transferred to the CID for investigation the following day.
The chargesheet filing comes just one day before the bail hearing scheduled before the Karnataka High Court. During the last hearing on June 14, the High Court had directed the CID not to take any “coercive steps.”
Justice S. Krishna Dixit, presiding over the single-judge bench, remarked during the hearing, “He is no Tom, Dick, or Harry. He is not a bandicoot. He is the former chief minister of the state. Is it your case that he will flee from the country by going to Delhi? So many things are taking shape in the political arena. He will come back. What is it that he will be able to do by going to Delhi?”
Yediyurappa has applied for anticipatory bail in the High Court, while the minor’s family has filed a fresh plea, alleging that the CID investigation is not progressing quickly enough. Both cases are expected to be addressed together on Friday.
An officer involved in the case stated, “The HC had earlier said we cannot take any coercive steps but filing a chargesheet is not a coercive step. In fact, in Pocso cases, it should be done soon.”
With the chargesheet now filed, Yediyurappa will face trial before a special Pocso court in Bengaluru. Sources indicated some confusion regarding whether the trial should be held in a Pocso court or the Special Court designated for MPs/MLAs. “The state preferred the Pocso court since it is a ‘victim and offence centric’ court, while the MP/MLA court is offender centric,” explained the officer.
