BS Yediyurappa, Facing POCSO Case, Says He Will Appear Before CID for Inquiry on June 17

Bengaluru: A day after the Karnataka High Court restrained the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from arresting former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa in connection with the POCSO case registered against him, the former CM said on Saturday that he will appear before the CID on June 17 for inquiry in the case. While granting temporary relief to the veteran BJP leader, the court had directed him to appear before CID on June 17.

Yediyurappa, upon his arrival in the city on Saturday, said the people would teach a lesson to those "indulging in conspiracies" against him.

"I had gone to Delhi for a pre scheduled programme. I had informed in advance in writing that I will appear for an inquiry on June 17. The High Court has given an order restraining CID (from arresting). I'm appearing for an inquiry on Monday. Unnecessarily some people tried to create confusion, I don't want to blame anyone, everyone knows the fact," news agency PTI quoted Yediyurappa as saying.

“People will teach a lesson to those indulging in conspiracies”, he reportedly said.

A court in Karnataka had on Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Yediyurappa in the case registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on March 14 this year.

The Special Investigation Team of the CID had moved the First Fast Track Court seeking an arrest warrant against him since he failed to appear for questioning on Wednesday.

According to police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO Act and Section 354 A (Sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he had molested her daughter during a meeting on February 2 this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony, Bengaluru.

Yediyurappa has denied the charge, saying he would fight the case legally. He has filed two separate petitions in the High Court, seeking anticipatory bail and quashing of the FIR.

The victim's mother, who had levelled the allegation against Yediyurappa, died at a private hospital in Bengaluru last month, after battling lung cancer.

Earlier this week, the victim's brother had moved the court alleging that though the case was registered on March 14, no progress has been made in the investigation. The petitioner pleaded the court for a direction to the police to arrest Yediyurappa and interrogate him.

After the Sadashivanagar police registered the case in March, the Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Mohan had issued an order transferring it to the CID for further investigation.

In April, the CID had collected the voice sample of Yediyurappa after summoning him to the office. 

(With inputs from PTI)