The Supreme Court of India has put a temporary halt to the trial proceedings against former Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa in a case involving allegations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The stay came after Yediyurappa challenged the Karnataka High Court’s recent refusal to quash the case.
The controversy began when a woman accused Yediyurappa of sexually assaulting her 17-year-old daughter during their visit to his residence in early 2024. According to the complaint, the mother and daughter had approached him seeking assistance, but the meeting allegedly resulted in inappropriate conduct. The FIR that followed included charges under the POCSO Act as well as Section 354A of the Indian Penal Code.
Over the months that followed, the case moved through several legal turns. A trial court had first taken cognisance of the police report, but that order was later struck down by the Karnataka High Court, which found that the trial court had acted mechanically without proper reasoning. Even so, the High Court allowed the investigation and chargesheet to stand and granted Yediyurappa anticipatory bail.
When the trial court reconsidered the matter and again issued summons earlier this year, Yediyurappa returned to the High Court, arguing that the charges should not stand. The High Court disagreed, stating that the prosecution material was adequate for a trial to proceed.
The former Chief Minister then approached the Supreme Court, which on December 2 stayed the trial and sought a response from the State. The Court’s order effectively sends the matter back to the High Court for a fresh look, leaving the future course of the case uncertain for now.
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