A Bengaluru fast-track court has issued a non-bailable warrant against former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. This action was taken after Yediyurappa failed to appear in court to record his statement concerning an alleged molestation case involving a minor. The warrant follows an application by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
Yediyurappa was expected to appear before the court on March 14, but he did not show up. The case was transferred to the CID by Karnataka Director General of Police Alok Mohan on March 15. The charges against Yediyurappa include Section 354A of the IPC (sexual harassment) and Section 8 of the POCSO Act, both of which are non-bailable offenses. Currently in Delhi, Yediyurappa is anticipated to return to Bengaluru on Monday. He has previously denied all allegations.
A senior government advocate confirmed the developments, highlighting three ongoing petitions related to the case. One petition, filed by the complainant’s brother, criticizes the police investigation’s effectiveness. Another petition by Yediyurappa seeks to quash the FIR due to a lack of evidence, while a third petition requests anticipatory bail. Yediyurappa has claimed that the allegations are part of a political conspiracy against him.
The case involves an incident on February 2, where Yediyurappa is accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl. The complaint was filed at the Sadashivanagar police station on March 14. The complainant’s mother, who was a key witness, died on May 26 under suspicious circumstances. Her lawyer, S. Balan, raised concerns about her death, noting that she was advised not to pursue the case against Yediyurappa.
Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara has stated that the investigation will follow all procedures and that an arrest will be made if necessary. Meanwhile, BJP General Secretary P. Rajeev accused the complainant of filing false cases habitually and downplayed the allegations as politically motivated. He emphasized that Yediyurappa had cooperated with the investigation multiple times and would continue to do so if required.
The case has attracted significant attention, especially after a video purportedly showing the 17-year-old girl and her mother confronting Yediyurappa surfaced. The authenticity of the video has not been independently verified. The complainant has a history of filing numerous cases against high-profile individuals, including senior police officials. The court’s decision to issue the warrant marks a significant development in this high-profile case.
