Pocso case: Karnataka HC refuses to quash summons to former CM Yediyurappa

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday refused to quash summons issued by a Fast Track Court to former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Yediyurappa is named as the main accused.

A single-judge bench led by Justice M.I. Arun declined the petition to set aside the trial court’s order taking cognisance and directed Yediyurappa to appear for trial after the charge sheet is taken on record.

The bench, however, asked the lower court to grant the former CM exemption from personal appearance whenever his presence is not required, and said Yediyurappa may file a separate petition seeking that relief.

The Fast Track Court had issued a summons to Yediyurappa and three others on February 28, 2025. Yediyurappa had sought quashing of the cognisance order, the FIR, and the charge sheet, arguing there was no proper application of mind by the trial court in an earlier order that the High Court itself had set aside.

Senior counsel C.V. Nagesh, appearing for Yediyurappa, also pointed to inconsistencies in the timeline of the complaint, noting that alleged incidents on February 2 and 5, 2024, were not reported at the time and that the complaint was filed only on March 14, 2024, amid political turmoil. He said witnesses present at the time had denied that anything untoward had occurred.

Opposing the plea, Senior Public Prosecutor Prof. Ravivarma Kumar told the court that the trial court had taken cognisance after applying its mind to the available evidence.

According to the chargesheet, Yediyurappa — along with three others — faces allegations under the POCSO Act and sections of the IPC, including 354(A) (sexual harassment), 204 (destroying a document or electronic record), and 214 (offering a bribe to conceal an offence).

The prosecution alleges the complainant had gone to Yediyurappa’s residence seeking help for an alleged sexual assault on her 17-year-old daughter. The charge sheet claims Yediyurappa held the girl’s wrist and molested her; it states the girl resisted and escaped.

The charge sheet further alleges that, after the victim uploaded a photo and video on social media, the accused summoned the complainant back, gave her Rs 2 lakh in cash, and had the images and video deleted from social media and the iPhone gallery. The victim’s mother later died on May 26, 2024, in Bengaluru.

Yediyurappa has denied the allegations. He said he had offered help after seeing a distressed mother and daughter near his residence, had involved the Bengaluru police for assistance, and had given them money after hearing their plight. “If we come forward to help, these are the consequences to be faced. I will face everything,” he had said.

IANS