BS Yediyurappa paid hush money to sexual assault victim, says chargesheet
Bengaluru, June 28
The Karnataka High Court on Friday extended by two weeks its interim order restraining the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from arresting former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, against whom the probe agency has filed a chargesheet in connection with a case registered against him under the POCSO Act.
The CID, probing charges against Yediyurappa of sexually assaulting a minor girl, has alleged in the chargesheet that he and three other accused paid money to the alleged victim and her mother to buy their silence.
The 81-year-old Yediyurappa has been charged under Section 8 (punishment for sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 204 (destruction of document or electronic record to prevent its production as evidence) and 214 (offering gift or restoration of property in consideration of screening offender) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The other three co-accused — Arun YM, Rudresh M and G Mariswamy who are aides of Yediyurappa — are charged under Sections 204 and 214, IPC, in the chargesheet filed at the Fast Track Court 1 for POCSO Act cases here on Thursday.
On Friday, the HC bench of Justice Krishna S Dixit continued its June 14 order, as it permitted the prosecution to file its objection to the petition filed by Yediyurappa seeking quashing of the case against him.
The Special Public Prosecutor sought time to file objections, and maintained that Yediyurappa’s petition might not survive as a chargesheet had already been filed.