Bengaluru (TIP)- Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, 81, was on Friday, March 15, booked under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after a woman lodged a complaint alleging the veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader sexually assaulted her 17-year-old daughter on February 2.
Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said the complaint was lodged on Thursday night. “After examining the details, police have registered a case. Until the investigation is done, I cannot comment on the details… She [the woman] typed the complaint and gave it to the police. They will probe.”
Yediyurappa vowed to deal with the matter legally. “I have come to know that a complaint has been filed against me by a woman. It must have been about a month back that they used to visit but I did not pay attention. But one day, when I was told they were crying, I called them and asked what happened.”
Yediyurappa added he was told that they had been wronged. “I then called the police commissioner [B] Dayananda and asked him to hear them out…But then she started talking against me then and there. I thought she was unwell and asked the police commissioner to investigate.” Yediyurappa said this has now been twisted and a First Information Report has been filed. “We will do what is legally required. I did not think helping someone would result in this. I had even given some money to them,” he said.
A police officer said the case has been registered under Section 8 of POCSO (sexual assault) and the Indian Penal Code’s Section 354A (sexual harassment).