Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, accused of intercourse harassment of a minor, can’t be arrested till the following listening to within the case on June 17, the Karnataka Excessive Court docket dominated right this moment.
A non-bailable warrant was issued in opposition to Mr Yediyurappa, 81, on Thursday underneath the stringent Safety of Youngsters from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. The previous Chief Minister’s son BY Raghvendra has asserted that there’s “no fact” within the grievance.
The Particular Investigation Workforce of the CID had moved the First Quick Observe Court docket searching for an arrest warrant in opposition to Mr Yediyurappa since he failed to look for questioning on Wednesday.
“The courtroom can not leap to the conclusion {that a} case is made out for arrest or detention or for custodial interrogation of the petitioner who occurs to be the previous Chief Minister of the state and within the late night of his life with illnesses pure to that age,” mentioned the Excessive Court docket.
Based on police, Mr Yediyurappa has been charged underneath the POCSO Act and Part 354 A (Sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) primarily based on a grievance from the mom of a 17-year-old woman on March 14.
The mom alleges that Mr Yediyurappa sexually assaulted her daughter throughout a gathering on February 2 this 12 months, at his residence in {Dollars} Colony.
“I’ve positioned it on file, she (the mom) is within the behavior of submitting circumstances. I’ve given particulars. Blackmailing is her avocation,” mentioned Sandeep Patil, Mr Yediyurappa’s lawyer.
The 54-year-old lady who had filed the grievance in opposition to Mr Yediyurappa died of lung most cancers at a non-public hospital final month.
“The motion appears to be suspicious, a malafide one. A politically motivated one. He has all the time cooperated with the investigation. Discover was given earlier as nicely, he has participated. He has voluntarily written a letter to IO (Investigation Officer) that he’s coming there and showing on 17 (June). Regardless of this, the investigating company raised a warrant, this raises severe doubts about their intention,” Mr Yediyurappa’s lawyer added.
The previous Chief Minister claims the woman got here to him searching for assist with some circumstances of dishonest. Nevertheless, she did not converse to him correctly, which gave him the concept she will not be mentally sound, he mentioned.
Mr Yediyurappa’s workplace has rubbished the allegations as baseless, accusing the mom and daughter of submitting over 50 complaints prior to now. A listing put out by Mr Yediyurappa’s workplace confirmed 53 totally different complaints filed earlier than.
The case has invited sharp reactions from each Congress and the BJP.
“Shocked by the humiliating defeat within the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress leaders are engrossed in hatching one conspiracy after one other in opposition to the BJP,” BJP Karnataka posted on X yesterday.
The publish additional added, “Congress, resentful in direction of the BJP, is now trying to arrest our revered chief BS Yediyurappa, primarily based on a grievance from a mentally unstable lady. This comes after Rahul Gandhi confronted courtroom proceedings for spreading misinformation in opposition to BJP in Karnataka.”
The Karnataka Residence Minister G Parameshwara has dominated out any political angle within the case.