Yediyurappa back in Bengaluru, to appear before CID on June 17

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader B S Yediyurappa, facing a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act charge, returned to Bengaluru on Saturday and said he will appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on June 17 for questioning.

The former CM returned a day after the Karnataka high court had restrained the CID from arresting him in connection with the POCSO case.

It also directed the veteran BJP leader to appear before CID, which is probing the case, on June 17.

Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa said, "I had gone to Delhi for a pre scheduled programme. I had informed in advance in writing that I will appear for an inquiry on June 17. The High Court has given an order restraining CID (from arresting). I'm appearing for an inquiry on Monday. Unnecessarily some tried to create confusion, I don't want to blame anyone, everyone knows the fact."

"... people will teach a lesson to those indulging in conspiracies," he said.

A court in Bengaluru on Thursday had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Yediyurappa in the case registered against him under the POCSO Act on March 14 this year.

The Special Investigation Team of the CID had moved the First Fast Track Court seeking an arrest warrant against him since he failed to appear for questioning on Wednesday.

According to police, Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO Act and Section 354 A (Sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he molested her daughter during a meeting on February two this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony in Bengaluru.

Yediyurappa, who has denied the charge, said he would fight the case legally.

He has filed two separate petitions in the high court, seeking anticipatory bail and quashing the first information report (FIR).

The victim's mother, who had levelled the charge against Yediyurappa, died at a private hospital in Bengaluru last month, due to lung cancer.

Earlier this week, the victim's brother had moved the court alleging that though the case was registered on March 14, no progress has been made in the investigation.

The petitioner prayed the court for a direction to the police to arrest Yediyurappa and interrogate him.

After the Sadashivanagar police registered the case in March, the Karnataka Director General of Police Alok Mohan had issued an order transferring it to the CID for further investigation.

In April, the CID collected the voice sample of Yediyurappa after summoning him to the office.