Pocso case: Bengaluru court summons former CM Yediyurappa on July 15

Bengaluru: A special Bengaluru court Thursday ordered veteran BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, along with other accused, to appear before it on July 15 in connection with the case of sexual harassment of a minor under the Pocso Act against him.

The Special Pocso First Fast Track Court ordered authorities to issue summons to Yediyurappa and other accused, considering the charge sheet submitted by the CID in the Pocso case against Yediyurappa.

The CID, which is probing the case against Yediyurappa, had submitted a charge sheet against him in the special fast track court here on June 27.

As per the charge sheet, Yediyurappa, in collusion with the other three accused, had been charged under the Pocso Act and IPC's sections 354(A) (sexual harassment), 204 (destroying document or electronic record) and 214 (offering bribe to another person to make them conceal an offence).

The other accused face charges of colluding with Yediyurappa to hush up the case under IPC's sections 204 and 214.

The charge sheet mentions that the complainant had gone to meet Yediyurappa at his residence on Feb 2 this year to seek his help regarding the sexual assault against her 17-year-old daughter.

Yediyurappa, holding the wrist of the girl, took her into a room in his residence, locked it, and sexually harassed her by putting his hand into her bra and pressing her chest, it said. However, it mentions that the girl resisted and came out of the room. Afterwards, the BJP leader had refused to help them.

When the victim uploaded the photo and video on a social media account, the accused had got them called to his residence through other accused persons and gave Rs 2 lakh cash to the complainant. The accused had also got the photos and video deleted from social media and from the iPhone gallery.

The victim's mother had passed away on May 26 due to health complications in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, Yediyurappa had refuted the charges and said that he was ready to face any case. "A mother and daughter were found near my residence. We did not entertain them out of suspicion. But, once I saw them sitting near my house with tears in their eyes. I called them and asked why they were weeping. They claimed that they were going through a big crisis. I called up Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayanand asked him to help them out. The woman and daughter started talking against me there itself and they were sent out."

"Then the matter had taken a different turn. If we come forward to help, these are the consequences to be faced. I had even given them money after hearing their woes. I will face everything," the former Chief Minister had said.