Today in Politics: Ex-Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa to appear before CID in POCSO case

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and ex-BJP state unit president B S Yediyurappa said he would appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Monday in connection with a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case. On Friday, the Karnataka High Court had restrained the CID from arresting Yediyurappa in the case and directed the veteran BJP leader to appear before the agency.

“I’m appearing for an inquiry on Monday. Unnecessarily some tried to create confusion, I don’t want to blame anyone, everyone knows the fact,” Yediyurappa said. “People will teach a lesson to those indulging in conspiracies.”

The Special Investigation Team of the CID had moved the First Fast Track Court seeking an arrest warrant against him since he failed to appear for questioning last week. According to the police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO Act and Section 354 A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he molested her daughter during a meeting in February this year at his residence.

Yediyurappa, who has denied the charge, said he would fight the case legally. He has filed two separate petitions in the High Court, seeking anticipatory bail and quashing the FIR.

In context: The POCSO case against Yediyurappa is likely to be dealt with cautiously by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government and the BJP leadership itself, given his stature as the state’s top Lingayat leader and ex-CM, as reported by Johnson T A.

The sidelining of Yediyurappa by the BJP leadership ahead of the May 2023 state polls was widely believed to have damaged the BJP’s prospects. Several BJP leaders who lost the Assembly elections, especially from the camp of party