Former CM BS Yediyurappa to be arrested in POCSO case? Karnataka Home Minister says…

Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa may be arrested soon in connection with a POCSO case. The senior BJP leader has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act on the basis of a complaint filed by the mother of a 17-year-old girl. He was also asked to appear before a CID probe team earlier this week and sought time since he was presently in Delhi.

“If necessary they will arrest. I can't say (if) it is necessary, CID has to say it. If they feel it is necessary, they will do it,” Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara told reporters on Thursday.

The senior Congress leader said that a notice had been served to Yediyurappa as per procedure and the CID had asked him to appear for questioning. 

“Notice has been served procedurally, the charge-sheet has to be filed by June 15. Before that they (CID) will file the charge-sheet. They will have to follow procedure for it. They will have to record his statement and produce him (in court), all these are procedures and the department will do it,” he explained.

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The complaint against Yediyurappa was registered in mid-March and transferred hours later to the CID for further investigation. He has been accused of sexually assaulting the minor during a meeting at his Dollars Colony residence in early February. 

The veteran BJP leader has however denied the allegations and insisted that he would fight the case legally. He has also moved the court seeking quashing of the FIR.

Meanwhile the 54-year-old woman who levelled the charges passed away from lung cancer at a private hospital in the state last month. 

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(With inputs from agencies)