The Telangana High Court on Thursday granted bail to Bandi Bhageerath, son of Union Minister of State Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in a POCSO case registered against him. The court directed him to furnish a bond of Rs 1 lakh along with two sureties.
Telangana High Court grants bail with conditions
The Telangana High Court granted bail to Bandi Bhageerath with the condition that he furnish a bond of Rs 1 lakh and provide two sureties.
Earlier, Bhageerath had been remanded to judicial custody until May 29 as part of the investigation into the case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to his counsel, Advocate Karunasagar, Bhageerath surrendered before the police, following which the authorities carried out standard investigation procedures.
POCSO case
The case was first registered at the Petbasheerabad Police Station on May 8 after a complaint was filed by the survivor.
During the investigation, the Investigating Officer recorded statements from the survivor and other key witnesses. Based on the survivor’s detailed statement, police added Section 64(2)(m) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which relates to aggravated sexual assault, along with Section 5(1) read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012.
Police search and arrest
After the enhanced charges were added, police said Bhageerath was not available for questioning. Authorities launched a search operation across multiple locations, including Karimnagar, Delhi and other cities.
Police teams visited locations linked to the accused and his associates. A Look Out Circular was also issued to prevent him from leaving the country.
The breakthrough came on May 16 when police received information about his movement near the police academy.
Bhageerath was intercepted near Tech Park in Manchirevula under the limits of Narsingi Police Station. He was taken into custody at around 8:15 pm and shifted to the Petbasheerabad Police Station.
Allegations in the POCSO case
The case is based on an FIR registered on May 8, 2026, at the Petbasheerabad Police Station.
According to the complaint filed by the mother of a 17-year-old girl, Bhageerath allegedly entered into a relationship with the minor by making false promises of marriage.
The complaint further alleged that he pressured the girl to consume alcohol and sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Following the survivor’s statement, police invoked Sections 11 and 12 of the POCSO Act and Sections 74 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, dealing with outraging modesty and sexual harassment.
Political controversy over the case
The case sparked a political debate in Telangana.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao accused Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of protecting Bandi Bhageerath for nine days and questioned the delay in police action.
The allegations and subsequent investigation became a major political issue in the state, drawing reactions from both ruling and opposition leaders.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply