BENGALURU, 28 JUNE

Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, who is facing sexual assault charges against a minor girl, and three other accused allegedly paid money to the victim and her mother to buy their silence, Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) said in the chargesheet. The 81-year-old Yediyurappa has been charged under Section 8 (punishment for sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 204 (destruction of document or electronic record to prevent its production as evidence) and 214 (offering gift or restoration of property in consideration of screening offender) of IPC. The other three co-accused—Arun YM, Rudresh M and G Mariswamy—who are aides of Yediyurappa are charged under IPC Sections 204 and 214, in the chargesheet filed at the Fast Track Court 1 for POCSO Act cases.

 According to the chargesheet, on 2 February, the 17-year-old alleged victim, along with her mother visited Yediyurappa at his Dollar’s Colony residence seeking help in getting justice in a sexual assault previous case. Yediyurappa called the minor inside a room and locked the door. He allegedly asked the victim whether she remembered the face of the person who had sexually assaulted her earlier. He later tried to sexually assault her, the CID alleged. The victim pushed Yediyurappa's hand, moved away and asked him to open the door. Yediyurappa then opened the door and exited. He later gave cash to victim and asked her to leave, the chargesheet said. After the victim's mother uploaded a video related to the incident on her Facebook, on 20 February, Arun, Rudresh and Mariswamy went to their house and brought them to Yediyurappa residence, it said. According to the chargesheet, Arun then ensured that the victim's mother deleted the video from her Facebook account and her iPhone’s gallery. On Yediyurappa’s directions, Rudresh is said to have paid the alleged victim Rs 2 lakh in cash.