BSY denies charge, claims he tried to help mother-daughter duo

Former CM Yediyurappa denies POCSO allegations, vows to face case legally amid political conspiracy speculations.

Reacting to the FIR under POCSO Act filed against him, the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday denied the allegations and said he would “face the case legally”.

“Around one-and-a-half months ago, a mother and daughter had come to my house. They used to come often, but we had not entertained them. But that particular day I called them inside because I saw them crying and asked them what their problems were. She told me injustice had been done to her and sought help. But after some time, she started speaking things against me. I thought the person’s mental health was not right. I called Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda and asked him to help them and sent them to him. When they said they were in trouble, I even gave them some money,” Mr. Yediyurappa told media persons.

“Now, I have learnt that the woman has twisted facts and lodged a complaint against me. I will face it legally,” he said. He said that it was “sad that such things happen when one tries to help people”.

When quizzed whether he saw a political conspiracy behind the case ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Yediyurappa said he would not make such an allegation.

Sending out a message that he was unfazed by the case, Mr. Yediyurappa’s office has issued his travel itinerary to Kalaburagi on Saturday and Shivamogga on Monday to take part in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies. He will also be in Shivamogga on Tuesday and take part in local programmes, his office has said. Mr. Yediyurappa also said he was confident that the BJP would win over 25 seats in the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka and the people of the State were responding positively.

Meanwhile, sources in the Mr. Yediyurappa’s camp said that the mother of victim had filed more than 53 complaints against several people, officials and senior police offices in the past. The sources claimed that she was “habitual complainant.”