Bandi Bageerath POCSO case: Cyberabad police register case against individuals for revealing identity of minor

Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police have registered an FIR against circulation of visuals that revealed the identity of the minor victim in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case against Bandi Sai Bageerath.

The complaint was lodged by the Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, alleging circulation of photographs, videos and other identifying details of the victim and her parents in FIR No. 684/2026 (registered under the POCSO Act). Consequently, Cyberabad filed FIR No. 706/2026 under Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, Section 72(1) of BNS, and Section 23 of the POCSO Act.

Petbasheerabad police, where the original POCSO case was registered, identified Instagram and Facebook account IDs and relevant URLs involved in circulating the material. These have been forwarded to the concerned authorities to trace the account handlers and bring them to justice. Cases have also been booked against social media users who published the photos, videos and personal information of the victim and her parents.

The police warned that revealing the identity or personal details of a girl child or her family in POCSO cases causes severe emotional distress and amounts to a serious legal violation. Strict action will be taken against anyone involved, the statement said.