Former Karnataka CM Yediyurappa booked under POCSO for alleged sexual assault of minor girl

Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and BJP leader, B S Yediyurappa, has been charged with alleged sexual assault of minor girl, in an FIR filed at Sadashivanagar police station late Thursday night. 

The FIR, filed by a resident of Akshay Nagar of South Bengaluru, alleges that Yediyurappa touched her 17-year-old girl inappropriately and molested her. The complainant told police that the incident happened when she visited Yediyurappa’s house in Sadashivanagar on February 2. 

The woman said in the complaint, “We went to Yediurappa’s house to seek his help in getting justice to my daughter who's a rape victim. He heard us for a few minutes and later took my daughter to a room and molested her.”

The woman claimed that she visited Yediurappa to get the case transferred  to a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Explaining the delay in filing the complaint, the woman told police that she was afraid and didn’t have courage to lodge a complaint.

Sadashivanagar Police have opened an FIR under Prevention of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) and under IPC Section 354a ( Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual).

Home minister reacts

Speaking to reporters on Monday, near his Sadashivanagar house, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara called the FIR against former CM Yediyurappa a "sensitive" issue. He said the investigations were on and not much could be revealed before knowing the actual truth at this stage.

“I was told there were other complaints that the woman has registered in the past, we will investigate them,” Parameshwara said when a reporter asked about the woman having filed several complaints in the past.

The woman is said to have filed similar complaints against VIPs on several occasions in the past.

Asked whether there was any political angle to the case, he said, “We don't know anything about the woman. She has gone to the police station herself and filed a complaint and the police haven’t refused and registered the complaint."

When asked if the woman will be given protection, Parameshwara said, “When there’s a woman, who is under some sort of stress and needs protection, the police will definitely provide it.”