Union Minister Bandi Sanjay's son moves Telangana High Court in POCSO case

The Cyberabad Police issued a notice directing Bandi Kumar's son Bhageerath to appear before investigators on May 13, along with his maternal uncle.

Hyderabad: Five days after an FIR was registered against him under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Bandi Sai Bhageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar approached the Telangana High Court on Tuesday seeking anticipatory bail.

The 23-year-old has remained absconding since the FIR was filed on May 8, based on a complaint by the victim's mother alleging sexual exploitation. His mobile phone has been switched off for the past three days, and Cyberabad Police confirmed that teams are actively analysing his call detail records to trace his whereabouts. The petition has been listed before the High Court's vacation bench for hearing on May 14. Separately, the Cyberabad Police issued a notice directing Bhageerath to appear before investigators on Wednesday, along with his maternal uncle.

The legal move comes a day after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed displeasure at Director General of Police CV Anand over perceived delays in acting on the FIR. Kukatpally DCP Ritiraj, who is supervising the probe, is preparing to record the 17-year-old victim's statement once again to gather additional details as part of the ongoing investigation, even though an initial statement has already been recorded.

According to the report submitted by Pet Basheerabad Station House Officer Inspector K Vijayavardhan to the IX Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate at Medchal, Cyberabad, the complainant described a sustained pattern of grooming, emotional manipulation, and sexual exploitation allegedly beginning in June 2025. The FIR, registered as Case No. 684/2026, alleges that Bhageerath maintained a close relationship with the minor under a false promise of marriage and, by gaining psychological control over her, progressively isolated her from her support network.

The alleged sexual abuse is said to have taken place at multiple locations primarily farmhouses on the outskirts of Hyderabad with the incident on December 31, 2025, at a farmhouse in Moinabad cited specifically. The complainant's four-page written account, submitted to the court by the SHO, names specific apartments and farmhouses where the alleged exploitation occurred.

The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has mounted sustained pressure for Bhageerath's immediate arrest. Party workers staged protests demanding swift police action, while BRS women leaders met the State Women's Commission Chairperson to press for urgent intervention. The Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also taken suo motu cognisance of the matter, directing the Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad Metropolitan Police Commissionerate, to inquire into the case and submit a high-priority status report.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay turned emotional while addressing a Hindu Ekta rally in Karimnagar on Tuesday. Invoking his years of service to the Hindu community, he acknowledged that his public commitments had come at a personal cost. "I could not give time to my son. Today they are trying to brand him as a criminal," he said. He was, however, careful to distance himself from any attempt to shield his son from legal accountability. "If he has truly done something wrong, even if he is my son, he must face punishment. The law is equal for all," Sanjay asserted, before breaking down in tears as he spoke of his wife's anguish over the recent incidents around their son.Five days after an FIR was registered against him under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Bandi Sai Bhageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar approached the Telangana High Court on Tuesday seeking anticipatory bail.

The 23-year-old has remained absconding since the FIR was filed on May 8, based on a complaint by the victim's mother alleging sexual exploitation. His mobile phone has been switched off for the past three days, and Cyberabad Police confirmed that teams are actively analysing his call detail records to trace his whereabouts. The petition has been listed before the High Court's vacation bench for hearing on May 14. Separately, the Cyberabad Police issued a notice directing Bhageerath to appear before investigators on Wednesday, along with his maternal uncle.

The legal move comes a day after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed displeasure at Director General of Police CV Anand over perceived delays in acting on the FIR. Kukatpally DCP Ritiraj, who is supervising the probe, is preparing to record the 17-year-old victim's statement once again to gather additional details as part of the ongoing investigation, even though an initial statement has already been recorded.

According to the report submitted by Pet Basheerabad Station House Officer Inspector K Vijayavardhan to the IX Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate at Medchal, Cyberabad, the complainant described a sustained pattern of grooming, emotional manipulation, and sexual exploitation allegedly beginning in June 2025. The FIR, registered as Case No. 684/2026, alleges that Bhageerath maintained a close relationship with the minor under a false promise of marriage and, by gaining psychological control over her, progressively isolated her from her support network.

The alleged sexual abuse is said to have taken place at multiple locations primarily farmhouses on the outskirts of Hyderabad with the incident on December 31, 2025, at a farmhouse in Moinabad cited specifically. The complainant's four-page written account, submitted to the court by the SHO, names specific apartments and farmhouses where the alleged exploitation occurred.

The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has mounted sustained pressure for Bhageerath's immediate arrest. Party workers staged protests demanding swift police action, while BRS women leaders met the State Women's Commission Chairperson to press for urgent intervention. The Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also taken suo motu cognisance of the matter, directing the Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad Metropolitan Police Commissionerate, to inquire into the case and submit a high-priority status report.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay turned emotional while addressing a Hindu Ekta rally in Karimnagar on Tuesday. Invoking his years of service to the Hindu community, he acknowledged that his public commitments had come at a personal cost. "I could not give time to my son. Today they are trying to brand him as a criminal," he said. He was, however, careful to distance himself from any attempt to shield his son from legal accountability. "If he has truly done something wrong, even if he is my son, he must face punishment. The law is equal for all," Sanjay asserted, before breaking down in tears as he spoke of his wife's anguish over the recent incidents around their son.Five days after an FIR was registered against him under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Bandi Sai Bhageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar approached the Telangana High Court on Tuesday seeking anticipatory bail.

The 23-year-old has remained absconding since the FIR was filed on May 8, based on a complaint by the victim's mother alleging sexual exploitation. His mobile phone has been switched off for the past three days, and Cyberabad Police confirmed that teams are actively analysing his call detail records to trace his whereabouts. The petition has been listed before the High Court's vacation bench for hearing on May 14. Separately, the Cyberabad Police issued a notice directing Bhageerath to appear before investigators on Wednesday, along with his maternal uncle.

The legal move comes a day after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed displeasure at Director General of Police CV Anand over perceived delays in acting on the FIR. Kukatpally DCP Ritiraj, who is supervising the probe, is preparing to record the 17-year-old victim's statement once again to gather additional details as part of the ongoing investigation, even though an initial statement has already been recorded.

According to the report submitted by Pet Basheerabad Station House Officer Inspector K Vijayavardhan to the IX Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate at Medchal, Cyberabad, the complainant described a sustained pattern of grooming, emotional manipulation, and sexual exploitation allegedly beginning in June 2025. The FIR, registered as Case No. 684/2026, alleges that Bhageerath maintained a close relationship with the minor under a false promise of marriage and, by gaining psychological control over her, progressively isolated her from her support network.

The alleged sexual abuse is said to have taken place at multiple locations primarily farmhouses on the outskirts of Hyderabad with the incident on December 31, 2025, at a farmhouse in Moinabad cited specifically. The complainant's four-page written account, submitted to the court by the SHO, names specific apartments and farmhouses where the alleged exploitation occurred.

The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has mounted sustained pressure for Bhageerath's immediate arrest. Party workers staged protests demanding swift police action, while BRS women leaders met the State Women's Commission Chairperson to press for urgent intervention. The Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also taken suo motu cognisance of the matter, directing the Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad Metropolitan Police Commissionerate, to inquire into the case and submit a high-priority status report.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay turned emotional while addressing a Hindu Ekta rally in Karimnagar on Tuesday. Invoking his years of service to the Hindu community, he acknowledged that his public commitments had come at a personal cost. "I could not give time to my son. Today they are trying to brand him as a criminal," he said. He was, however, careful to distance himself from any attempt to shield his son from legal accountability. "If he has truly done something wrong, even if he is my son, he must face punishment. The law is equal for all," Sanjay asserted, before breaking down in tears as he spoke of his wife's anguish over the recent incidents around their son.Five days after an FIR was registered against him under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Bandi Sai Bhageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar approached the Telangana High Court on Tuesday seeking anticipatory bail.

The 23-year-old has remained absconding since the FIR was filed on May 8, based on a complaint by the victim's mother alleging sexual exploitation. His mobile phone has been switched off for the past three days, and Cyberabad Police confirmed that teams are actively analysing his call detail records to trace his whereabouts. The petition has been listed before the High Court's vacation bench for hearing on May 14. Separately, the Cyberabad Police issued a notice directing Bhageerath to appear before investigators on Wednesday, along with his maternal uncle.

The legal move comes a day after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed displeasure at Director General of Police CV Anand over perceived delays in acting on the FIR. Kukatpally DCP Ritiraj, who is supervising the probe, is preparing to record the 17-year-old victim's statement once again to gather additional details as part of the ongoing investigation, even though an initial statement has already been recorded.

According to the report submitted by Pet Basheerabad Station House Officer Inspector K Vijayavardhan to the IX Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate at Medchal, Cyberabad, the complainant described a sustained pattern of grooming, emotional manipulation, and sexual exploitation allegedly beginning in June 2025. The FIR, registered as Case No. 684/2026, alleges that Bhageerath maintained a close relationship with the minor under a false promise of marriage and, by gaining psychological control over her, progressively isolated her from her support network.

The alleged sexual abuse is said to have taken place at multiple locations primarily farmhouses on the outskirts of Hyderabad with the incident on December 31, 2025, at a farmhouse in Moinabad cited specifically. The complainant's four-page written account, submitted to the court by the SHO, names specific apartments and farmhouses where the alleged exploitation occurred.

The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has mounted sustained pressure for Bhageerath's immediate arrest. Party workers staged protests demanding swift police action, while BRS women leaders met the State Women's Commission Chairperson to press for urgent intervention. The Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also taken suo motu cognisance of the matter, directing the Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad Metropolitan Police Commissionerate, to inquire into the case and submit a high-priority status report.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay turned emotional while addressing a Hindu Ekta rally in Karimnagar on Tuesday. Invoking his years of service to the Hindu community, he acknowledged that his public commitments had come at a personal cost. "I could not give time to my son. Today they are trying to brand him as a criminal," he said. He was, however, careful to distance himself from any attempt to shield his son from legal accountability. "If he has truly done something wrong, even if he is my son, he must face punishment. The law is equal for all," Sanjay asserted, before breaking down in tears as he spoke of his wife's anguish over the recent incidents around their son.