Bengaluru, 28 Feb

A special court here on Friday issued summons to veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa and three other accused in connection with a POCSO Act case to appear before it on 15 March.

The court which handles cases booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act took fresh cognisance of a chargesheet filed by the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) against 82-year-old Yediyurappa, a former chief minister.

High Court on 7 February had directed the special court to consider afresh and pass appropriate orders on the CID's final report in the case.

The court had issued this order while partly allowing the petition filed by Yediyurappa challenging proceedings against him under the POCSO Act, and remitting back to the trial court the criminal case registered against him. It had also granted anticipatory bail to him.

The case was registered on 14 March last year based on a complaint lodged by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that Yediyurappa sexually assaulted her daughter during a meeting on 2 February, at his residence in Dollars Colony here.

The CID on 27 June filed a chargesheet in the Fast Track Court which had alleged that Yediyurappa and three other accused paid money to the complainant and her minor daughter "to buy their silence".

The 54-year-old complainant died at a private hospital here in May last year, due to lung cancer.