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Karnataka CID files charges against Yeddyurappa for ‘sexually molesting a minor girl’ | News from India

The Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday filed charges against former chief minister and senior BJP politician BS Yediyurappa in connection with allegations of sexual harassment of a minor. The Indian Express have learned.

Yediyurappa has been charged under Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, which provides punishment for sexual abuse of minors. The Act carries a mandatory minimum sentence of three years, which can be extended up to five years in prison. In addition, it has been revealed that the former chief minister will also be charged under Section 354A (sexual harassment), Section 204 (destruction of evidence) and Section 214 (offering gifts or returning property in return for checking the offender) of the Indian Penal Code.

The alleged incident occurred on February 2, 2024, when the minor and her mother visited Yediyurappa to seek justice in a previous case involving alleged sexual assault on the girl by a relative.

A police case was registered in Bengaluru on March 14, 2024 and the case was handed over to the Crime Branch for investigation on March 15.

The chargesheet was filed just a day before the bail hearing in the Karnataka High Court. At the last hearing on June 14, the Supreme Court had directed the CID not to take any “coercive action”.

Festive offer

“He is not a Tom, Dick or Harry. He is not a bandicoot. He is the former chief minister of the state. Do you think he will leave the country and go to Delhi? So many things are taking shape in politics. He will come back. What will he be able to do if he goes to Delhi?” the single-judge bench of Justice S. Krishna Dixit had asked during the hearing.

Yediyurappa is learnt to have moved the Supreme Court for interim bail while the minor’s family has also filed a fresh petition alleging that the CID investigation is not progressing fast enough. Both the cases are likely to be heard together on Friday.

“The Supreme Court had earlier said that we cannot take any coercive action, but filing a chargesheet is not a coercive step. In fact, it should happen soon in Pocso cases,” an official involved in the case told The Indian Express.

After the chargesheet is filed, Yediyurappa will be tried in a special Pocso court in Bengaluru. Sources said there was confusion as to whether the trial should take place in a Pocso court or the special court for MPs/MLAs.

“The state preferred the Pocso court as it is a victim- and crime-centric court, while the MP/MLA court is offender-centric,” the official said.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

First uploaded on: 27-06-2024 at 17:27 IST