The Karnataka Police’s CID unit, which took over the investigation of the POCSO case against former Chief Minister Yediyurappa from Bengaluru police, has recovered a deleted video using digital tools, according to sources. The case, which includes charges of tampering with evidence, has led to significant legal developments.
Tampering with evidence, under Section 204 of the Indian Penal Code, is a bailable offense carrying a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment. In addition to this charge, the accused associates allegedly offered Rs 2 lakh to the victim and her mother shortly after the incident, which the public prosecutor argued was an attempt to coerce them into accepting the money under duress. The victim’s mother, who passed away from cancer on May 26, was reportedly pressured to treat the money as a loan. One of the associates has previously contested an assembly poll in Karnataka.
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The alleged sexual offense occurred on February 2, 2024, when the victim’s mother took her to meet Yediyurappa to seek support for justice in an earlier sexual assault case from 2015 involving a relative. On March 14, 2024, a complaint was filed against Yediyurappa under the POCSO Act and IPC Section 354 A, accusing him of committing sexual offenses against the victim during that meeting.
A special court for POCSO cases in Bengaluru issued an arrest warrant for Yediyurappa following a CID application for custodial questioning. The former CM had sought time until June 17 to appear before the CID after a notice was issued on June 10 for his appearance on June 12. The voluntary statements of the victim and her mother, recorded by a magistrate’s court, form part of the investigation, along with a witness statement familiar with the incident.
Voice samples obtained from Yediyurappa on April 12 matched those from conversations reportedly recorded by the victim’s mother on the day of the incident, sources revealed. Yediyurappa has sought anticipatory bail in the Karnataka High Court, claiming the POCSO case is politically motivated and lacks prima facie evidence. The High Court is set to hear his petitions for anticipatory bail and to quash the case on Friday afternoon. Offenses under the POCSO Act are non-bailable, with the charge under Section 8 for sexual assault carrying a maximum imprisonment of five years, and the charge under IPC Section 354 A for sexual harassment being bailable with a maximum imprisonment of three years.
