Trouble mounted for former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa after a Bengaluru court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against him in a POCSO case.
The action pertains to a case filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against him. 81-year-old leader faces an FIR under the POCSO Act, 2012 over the alleged sexual assault case of a minor girl.
Yediyurappa has also sought anticipatory bail from a special court, known as the People’s Representative Court, in an effort to avoid arrest in a case filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. BS Yediyurappa office stated that an arrest warrant is also issued against him.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the case, has issued a notice asking Yediyurappa to appear before it for questioning, and he may be arrested if necessary.
According to police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO Act and Section 354 A (Sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he sexually assaulted her daughter during a meeting on February 2 this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony in Bengaluru.
The 54-year-old woman, who had leveled the charge against Yediyurappa, died at a private hospital last month, due to lung cancer. The matter is currently being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Earlier, the CID had issued a summons for Yediyurappa to appear for questioning. In response, he sought additional time to present himself before the investigating officer.
According to sources close to him, Yediyurappa is presently in Delhi and likely to join the probe after he returns. It should be noted here that Yediyurappa has denied the charge and said he would fight the case legally. In April, the CID collected the voice sample of Yediyurappa after summoning him to the office.