Bengaluru, 19 Dec

High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, who is seeking to quash a case registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The next hearing will take place on 6 January, 2025, with the court extending the interim order protecting Yediyurappa from arrest until 7 January.

The bench, led by Justice M Nagaprasanna, noted that the arguments in the case remained incomplete. Senior advocate CV Nagesh, representing Yediyurappa, requested additional time for submissions, while advocate S Balan and the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) also sought more time for their arguments.

In Wednesday’s proceedings, the court had expressed its preliminary view that quashing POCSO proceedings based solely on witness statements recorded under Sections 161 and 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) would not be permissible. Justice Nagaprasanna emphasised, "Evidence of witnesses and the victim must be cross-examined at trial. Taking statements as gospel truth without trial would be improper."

The case stems from a complaint filed on 14 March, which accused Yediyurappa of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl at his Bengaluru residence. -Salar News