New Delhi: The Karnataka State Commission for Women has called for a thorough investigation into the death of a woman who had filed a POCSO complaint against former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.
The commission’s letter to the Bengaluru police commissioner raises serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding her death and the subsequent cremation, prompting allegations of foul play.
The complainant, who accused Yediyurappa of sexually assaulting her minor daughter in February 2024, succumbed to lung cancer in a private hospital on May 26th. However, her family has expressed serious doubts about the circumstances surrounding her death, particularly the lack of an autopsy before cremation.
After crying that “proper procedure” was not followed in the creation, the woman’s family members filed a complaint with the police on May 27. They raised the suspicions of foul play citing that the body was cremated without an autopsy.
The family alleges that the woman had been receiving threats from Yediyurappa’s supporters after filing the complaint, claiming that these supporters even deleted recorded video clips of the alleged incident from her mobile phone, Hindustan Times reported. They suspect she may have been poisoned to silence her.
The commission’s chairperson, Nagalakshmi Chowdhury, shares these concerns, highlighting the suddenness of the woman’s death and the lack of prior signs of her illness. She has urged the Bengaluru police to investigate the discrepancies surrounding the cremation and the alleged threats received by the victim.
The case against the former chief minister has been registered under the Protection of Children from sexual offences (Pocso) Act and was later handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation. The trial is currently going in the case in a local court.
The family, along with women’s rights activists, are demanding a thorough investigation into the case, pointing out the potential involvement of Yediyurappa’s supporters in the woman’s death. Chowdhury while speaking to the reporters said that she met the woman’s daughter to discuss the case and raised the question of how the woman could suddenly succumb to cancer without any prior sign. “All these issues have caused significant suspicion. The family of the victim has filed a complaint at the Hulimavu police station. It does not matter if the accused is a former chief minister, the culprits, whoever they may be, must be brought to justice,” she asserted.
The BJP has dismissed the concerns raised by the Family and Women Commission as a publicity-seeking tactic stating that the case is in the court. “This kind of letter is only aimed to get publicity. However we don’t oppose the probe, we welcome it,” he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.