k-taka-hc-stays-arrest-of-bs-yediyurappa

The Karnataka High Court on Friday stayed the potential arrest of veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader BS Yediyurappa in a case booked by the police under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. A local court in Bengaluru had, on Thursday, issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him.

The case arises from an FIR that the Bengaluru Police registered against the 81-year-old BJP leader on March 15 under the law based on a complaint from a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her 17-year-old daughter. The government, later, transferred the case to the CID.

Justice S Krishna Dixit at the high court questioned the need to arrest Yediyurappa, not convinced by the CID’s arguments that he had evaded a notice issued on June 11 seeking his appearance before the investigation officer (IO). The CID argued the former CM booked a ticket to Delhi and flew after the notice was served on him.

The Judge, however, wondered if it was the CID’s case that the former CM was at the risk of fleeing the country by leaving Bengaluru. Acknowledging Yediyurappa’s letter to the CID informing him that he would appear before the IO on June 17 after his return from Delhi, the court asked the BJP leader to do so without fail. The Judge barred the CID from taking coercive action since he had volunteered to appear before the IO on June 17.

The court took cognisance of the BJP leader’s advanced age and age-related ailments and put his detention on hold till the next date of hearing.

BJP state unit president BY Vijayendra hailed the court order, and expressed happiness at the court’s observations that Yediyurappa would not turn his back to investigations, thus endorsing his respect for the rule of law. “We are confident that the truth will prevail in the case in the coming days,” he said in a statement.

Union Food & Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi, speaking to the media in Hubballi, called the case a conspiracy by the Congress to settle political scores against Yediyurappa after the setback in the Lok Sabha polls. The government, he said, had revived an old case to cover up its own misgovernance in the state.