Bengaluru, Oct 25 (NationPress) The Karnataka High Court has reserved its ruling regarding the petition from former Chief Minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Committee Member B. S. Yediyurappa, who is seeking to dismiss proceedings linked to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Yediyurappa has requested the court to nullify the order that acknowledged the offense and the summons issued against him on February 28, 2025.

He also seeks the cancellation of the FIR and the chargesheet related to this matter.

The single division bench, led by Justice M. I. Arun, has issued a ruling on this case. It is noteworthy that on February 7, the High Court had overturned the trial court's decision that recognized the offenses under the POCSO Act and sent the case back to the trial court for further investigation.

Senior attorney C. V. Naagesh, representing Yediyurappa, argued that the High Court had annulled the previous cognizance order due to the trial court's lack of thorough consideration.

The alleged offense occurred on February 2, 2024, at 11:30 AM. On February 5, 2024, the complainants met with Yediyurappa and took photographs, yet no complaint was filed on those days. Amid political turmoil in the state, a complaint was lodged on March 14, 2024.

Witnesses at the time of the alleged incident have testified that nothing occurred.

Senior Public Prosecutor Professor Ravivarma Kumar stated that the trial court had acted on the evidence presented and with due consideration.

According to the chargesheet, Yediyurappa is accused, along with three others, under the POCSO Act and various sections of the IPC, including 354(A) (sexual harassment), 204 (destroying evidence), and 214 (bribery).

The other accused face charges of collaborating with Yediyurappa to conceal the case under IPC sections 204 and 214.

The chargesheet claims that the complainant visited Yediyurappa at his home on February 2 to seek assistance regarding the sexual assault on her 17-year-old daughter.

It alleges that Yediyurappa locked the girl in a room, where he harassed her, but she managed to escape. Yediyurappa later refused to assist them.

Upon the victim posting a photo and video online, the accused allegedly invited them to his residence, offering ₹2 lakh to the complainant and retrieving the images from social media and an iPhone.

The victim's mother passed away on May 26, 2024, due to health issues in Bengaluru.

Yediyurappa has denied the allegations, expressing his readiness to confront any charges. He recounted an event where he encountered a distressed mother and daughter near his home and offered to assist them, but asserts that they spoke negatively about him afterward.

“This situation demonstrates the repercussions of offering help. I even provided them money after hearing their plight, and I stand prepared to face the consequences,” the former Chief Minister declared.