HC reserves verdict on BSY's quash plea on POCSO case

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday reserved its verdict on former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's petition seeking to quash a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) case against him. The BJP leader dismissed allegations that he had intentionally delayed his plea until after the complainant's death, arguing that he could not have predicted when she would pass away. The case was filed based on allegations by a woman who claimed that Yediyurappa had sexually assaulted her 17-yearold daughter during a meeting at his residence in Bengaluru in February 2024.

An FIR was registered by Sadashivanagar police on March 14, 2024, before being transferred to the CID, which later filed a chargesheet. Senior advocate C V Nagesh, representing Yediyurappa, countered the prosecution's argument that the former CM had deliberately waited until the complainant's death to file his petition. He stated, "She did not inform me when she would breathe her last. I am not a magician."

This was in response to Special Public Prosecutor Ravivarma Kumar's claim that the timing of the petition raised suspicions. During the hearing, Justice M Nagaprasanna noted that an FIR is essentially the complainant's statement and assured that relevant legal precedents cited by both parties would be considred.