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This is an archive article published on February 28, 2025
Special court takes fresh cognisance of chargesheet against former Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa, issues summons
Former Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa has been accused of touching a teenager inappropriately when she visited his house with her mother last year to seek help in an earlier case of sexual assault.
Former Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa. (Source: File)
A special court in Bengaluru on Friday took fresh cognisance of a chargesheet filed by the Karnataka CID police against former chief minister and senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act case registered in March 2024.
The court hearing Pocso cases passed a detailed order citing reasons for taking the chargesheet on record and also issued fresh summons for Yediyurappa, 82, and three other accused to appear before it on March 15, a senior advocate said.
The Karnataka High Court had referred the case back to the Pocso court on February 7, citing the lack of reasoning in a July 4, 2024 order on taking cognisance. The high court had also granted protection against arrest for the senior politician by citing his age and his eminence as a former chief minister.
The special court taking cognisance of the chargesheet against Yediyurappa, who has been booked on charges of sexual assault and harassment following a complaint by the mother of a teenager in March last year, has set the stage for the start of the trial in the case after the former chief minister’s appearance in court.
Earlier, on February 24, the special court had set aside the previous process of taking cognisance on the basis of the high court orders and had posted the matter for fresh cognisance.
Almost a year since case filed against Yediyurappa
In March last year, a woman had accused former Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa of touching her daughter inappropriately when they visited his house in February to seek help regarding an earlier case of sexual assault. On March 14, 2024, the Bengaluru police filed an FIR against Yediyurappa on the basis of the woman’s complaint.
The CID unit of the Karnataka police filed a chargesheet against Yediyurappa and three others on June 27, 2024, under Section 8 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and sections 354A, 204 and 214 of the Indian Penal Code for sexual harassment, destroying evidence, and offering gifts to silence the victim.
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The special court for Pocso cases took cognisance of the chargesheet on July 4 and issued a summons for Yediyurappa and others to appear in court to face trial. Yediyurappa approached the Karnataka High Court.
Although no stay was issued by the high court against the proceedings in the special court, the Pocso court proceedings were stalled since July 4, 2024, on account of Yediyurappa seeking the quashing of the chargesheet in the high court.
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