Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has partially allowed a petition filed by former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in which he had sought to quash a case registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly sexually abusing a minor.
The High Court remitted the matter back to the trial court while clarifying that the probe and final report remains intact. The hearing on the petition filed by Yediyurappa to quash the POCSO case registered against him at Sadashivanagar police station in Bengaluru was completed on January 17. The reserved verdict was announced by a bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna on Friday. However, a detailed copy of the order is yet to be made available.
Background of the case
Sadashivanagar police station in Bengaluru had registered an FIR against Yediyurappa on March 14, 2024 in connection with the case. Yediyurappa had filed a petition in the High Court on June 13, 2024, seeking its quashing. The High Court, which heard the petition on June 14, refused to stay the investigation into the case. It also directed the CID investigators not to arrest Yediyurappa. Later, the High Court passed another order on July 12, 2024, exempting Yediyurappa from appearing in person in the trial court hearing on the case. Finally, on January 17, 2025, it completed the hearing of the petition and reserved the verdict.
On January 15, the High Court had deferred the hearing on a petition filed by Yediyurappa seeking to quash the case. During the hearing by Justice M Nagaprasanna, the CID submitted evidences, including video footage and a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report. The court extended interim orders granting bail to Yediyurappa and exempted him from personal appearances before the trial court. Further proceedings are scheduled for January 17. The allegations stem from a March 2024 complaint accusing the BJP leader of molesting a 17-year-old girl at his Bengaluru residence in February.
