Bengaluru: In a major relief to former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa, the High Court has stayed the arrest of Yediyurappa in the POCSO case.
The High court bench headed by Justice Krishna Dixit heard BS Yeddyurappa's passed the directions while hearing the anticipatory bail application of the former Karnataka Chief Minister. The High Court directed the police not to take any action against Yediyurappa till the next hearing while directing Yediyurappa before investigators on June 17.
Sandeep C Patil, Yediyurappa's lawyer while talking to the media said that the court was of the opinion that since Yediyurappa, being a former chief minister, keeping in mind his age and also his conduct of having taken part in the investigation, “this is not a case where the investigator should have gone to court and got a warrant”.
The applicant (BSYediyurappa) said that he wpuld appear before the investigating officers on June 17 and face questioning. Accordingly, the court adjourned the hearing by directing the petitioner to attend the hearing.
Yediyurappa's lawyer said that in a petition, they brought before the High Court the “malafide action on the part of the investigating agencies”.
He said that there “should not be any kind of arrest as he is cooperating”. So therefore any such warrant or otherwise is put on hold. “And any course steps also the investigator cannot take from now on...He has already written a letter, communicating that I am going to appear on the 17th. In all probability, he will appear on the 17th,” he said.
After Yediyurappa was issued a non-bailable arrest warrant, the state BJP on Friday targeted the ruling saying the party leaders were "hatching conspiracy" after their "humiliating defeat" in the Lok Sabha elections.
In a post on its official X handle, BJP Karnataka wrote, "Shocked by the humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress leaders are engrossed in hatching one conspiracy after another against the BJP." The post further added, "Congress, resentful towards the BJP, is now attempting to arrest our respected leader BS Yediyurappa, based on a complaint from a mentally unstable woman. This comes after Rahul Gandhi faced court proceedings for spreading misinformation against BJP in Karnataka."
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