Bengaluru: The brother of a minor girl who accused former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa of sexually assaulting her has issued a plea to the state government to “hire a suitable senior advocate” to pursue the case in court.
Yediyurappa faces charges of sexually assaulting a minor girl at his residence in Sanjaynagar, Bengaluru, in February 2024. The police filed an FIR in March, and a chargesheet was filed in June 2024. Yediyurappa was granted relief from arrest by the high court, which questioned the necessity of arresting a former chief minister. Yediyurappa has also filed a plea to quash the case against him.
Appearing in a video posted on social media, Gaurav (name changed) said the family’s long battle for justice had taken a toll on them, and their only hope was the judiciary. “I request chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar to help get justice for my sister and my family. I request you to hire a suitable senior advocate to fight my case.
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“Please ask your advocates to work properly to convince the high court not to quash the FIR. My only glimmering hope is the judiciary. I request the judiciary not to extend the case in the high court further. You are the only hope I have, and please give us justice,” Gaurav said.
Gaurav spoke about his mother, who died in May last year due to complications from cancer. He said that he had decided to make the video after his mother, who fought a relentless battle to get an FIR registered against Yediyurappa, continued to be targeted even after her death.
“My mother was suffering from cancer… She ignored her medical needs and died. Even after my mother’s death, people are still targeting her and questioning her credibility and integrity. My mother only filed six cases and not 56. The first complaint we had to file was when my cousin sexually assaulted my sister. Most of the other complaints my mother gave were related to that. In fact, she went to Yediyurappa asking for help in those cases,” Gaurav said.
Gaurav also related how his sister had to drop out of school and was forced to take private exams.
“My sister is haunted by the unpleasant memory of what happened in Yediyurappa’s residence. She had to drop out of school and was forced to take private exams. Precious moments were snatched away from her,” Gaurav added.
This article was originally published on The News Minute. It is slightly edited to suit The Wire’s editorial style.
