POCSO case against Yediyurappa: ‘Helped girl, mother in past; no political conspiracy,’ says ex-CM

Senior BJP leader and former Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa, who has been booked under the POCSO Act for allegedly sexually harassing a 17-year-old girl, on Friday (March 15) ruled out any political conspiracy behind the allegation and said he will approach the matter legally.

Speaking to the media, he said the girl and her mother had come to him seeking help and he didn’t know that helping them would backfire in this way.

Two purported videos have also emerged, apparently filmed by the girl when she went to meet Yediyurappa at his residence with her mother.

In one video, the girl's mother is seen addressing Yediyurappa as 'Appa Ji' and tells him that she hails from Shivamogga, the home district of the BJP leader. She allegedly tells him that she has huge wealth running into several crores of rupees, which is caught in litigation and seeks his help.

In the second video, the girl's mother is seen sitting next to Yediyurappa soon after entering his house and holding his hand.

Will tackle case legally: Yediyurappa

Reacting to it, Yediyurappa said the woman had been trying to meet him but was never allowed to enter his house.

“Once when she was crying, I called her inside my house and spoke to Police Commissioner B Dayananda that some injustice had happened to her. However, when she started speaking something against me in front of me, I concluded that this woman is not proper,” PTI quoted him as saying.

After meeting the police commissioner, she gave a twist to the matter, Yediyurappa alleged. “I heard that an FIR has been registered against me. I will do whatever has to be done legally but this also happens when one tries to help somebody,” the BJP’s Parliamentary board member said.

He added that he even gave her money.

‘No political conspiracy’

While ruling out any political conspiracy against him, Yediyurappa, however, questioned the timing of the accusations, which come just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections

“I helped the complainant financially. The timing is questionable since the FIR comes just ahead of the polls,” he said.

The former chief minister’s office has said that the allegations are baseless and the mother-daughter duo have filed over 50 complaints in the past.

What the complaint says

In her complaint, the mother of the teen alleged that Yediyurappa sexually assaulted her daughter during a meeting on February 2.

According to Sadashivanagar police, the BJP stalwart has been booked under section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act and Section 354 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Police sources also said the girl's mother had, in the past, lodged over 50 complaints against various people including the then Bengaluru Police Commissioner Alok Kumar, and his staff, for allegedly manhandling her and abusing her.

She lodged a complaint against Kumar twice – once on January 29, 2021, and then on September 21, 2022, and also against the retired Bengaluru Police Commissioner and BJP leader Bhaskar Rao for allegedly "conspiring to ruin her life," on January 18, 2022.

Have to move cautiously: Karnataka home minister

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara confirmed the filing of the case against Yediyurappa.

“Till the investigation is completed, we cannot say anything. We have to be extremely cautious in our statement because it pertains to a former chief minister. We need to make our statement carefully because a woman has lodged a complaint,” he said.

He also noted that many people have given a feedback that the “woman is mentally sick”.