<p>The prosecution on Wednesday submitted before the high court that it has made a strong fool proof prima facie case against former chief minister B S Yediyurappa for the offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. </p><p>Senior advocate Prof Ravivarma Kumar, the special public prosecutor in the case, also urged the court to withdraw the interim protection granted to Yediyurappa from his personal appearance before the trial court.</p><p>The court is hearing the petition filed by Yediyurappa challenging the proceedings. The prosecution case is that the former chief minister had sexually harassed the 17-year-old daughter of the complainant woman on February 2, 2024 when they had gone to his house seeking help in another case under the Pocso. Incidentally, the complainant woman died of cancer on May 26, 2024. </p>.Surge in POCSO cases in Kerala stress need for robust counselling system .<p>Ravivarma Kumar submitted that besides the statement of the victim, the video recording of the confrontation with the accused, made by the victim immediately after the incident, has been verified positively in the forensic report. The comparison of respective voices based on auditory and feature extraction methods have matched with the voice samples of both the victim and the accused, he said.</p><p>Ravivarma Kumar further submitted that there is a gross abuse of the process of the court while filing the petition. He said the sworn affidavit in the petition is dated May 5, 2024 and the petition filed in the high court on June 12, 2024. Ravivarma Kumar said the petitioner was silent without raising his voice against the victim's mother till her death on May 26, 2024. </p><p>“This is not a petition verified by that affidavit. This petition should be thrown out lock, stock and barrel on the simple ground that there is no verification. It is a calculated effort on the part of the petitioner to move the court immediately after the death of the complainant,” Ravivarma Kumar said.</p><p>The special public prosecutor further submitted that it is mandatory to complete the trial for offences under the Pocso Act within one year period and the one year period is just 17 days away. Justice M Nagaprasanna extended the interim protection and said that the proceedings in the petition filed by Yeddyurappa would complete well before February 2, 2025. The matter has been posted to January 17, 2025 for further hearing.</p>
<p>The prosecution on Wednesday submitted before the high court that it has made a strong fool proof prima facie case against former chief minister B S Yediyurappa for the offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. </p><p>Senior advocate Prof Ravivarma Kumar, the special public prosecutor in the case, also urged the court to withdraw the interim protection granted to Yediyurappa from his personal appearance before the trial court.</p><p>The court is hearing the petition filed by Yediyurappa challenging the proceedings. The prosecution case is that the former chief minister had sexually harassed the 17-year-old daughter of the complainant woman on February 2, 2024 when they had gone to his house seeking help in another case under the Pocso. Incidentally, the complainant woman died of cancer on May 26, 2024. </p>.Surge in POCSO cases in Kerala stress need for robust counselling system .<p>Ravivarma Kumar submitted that besides the statement of the victim, the video recording of the confrontation with the accused, made by the victim immediately after the incident, has been verified positively in the forensic report. The comparison of respective voices based on auditory and feature extraction methods have matched with the voice samples of both the victim and the accused, he said.</p><p>Ravivarma Kumar further submitted that there is a gross abuse of the process of the court while filing the petition. He said the sworn affidavit in the petition is dated May 5, 2024 and the petition filed in the high court on June 12, 2024. Ravivarma Kumar said the petitioner was silent without raising his voice against the victim's mother till her death on May 26, 2024. </p><p>“This is not a petition verified by that affidavit. This petition should be thrown out lock, stock and barrel on the simple ground that there is no verification. It is a calculated effort on the part of the petitioner to move the court immediately after the death of the complainant,” Ravivarma Kumar said.</p><p>The special public prosecutor further submitted that it is mandatory to complete the trial for offences under the Pocso Act within one year period and the one year period is just 17 days away. Justice M Nagaprasanna extended the interim protection and said that the proceedings in the petition filed by Yeddyurappa would complete well before February 2, 2025. The matter has been posted to January 17, 2025 for further hearing.</p>