The police registered a case against Bhagirath on May 8 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The complaint was lodged by the mother of a 17-year-old girl.
भाजपा सांसद केंद्रीय गृह राज्य मंत्री बंडी संजय का बेटा पॉक्सो केस में गिरफ्तार, कोर्ट ने न्यायिक हिरासत में भेजा
Bhagirath, the son of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, was arrested by the police on Saturday night in connection with a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case and was subsequently remanded to judicial custody by a magistrate.
A senior police official stated, “The police have arrested the accused.”
In a press release issued shortly after midnight, the Cyberabad Police Commissioner informed that separate teams had been dispatched to Karimnagar, Delhi, and other locations to apprehend Bhagirath.
The teams searched the homes of his acquaintances, as well as other places the accused was known to frequent.
Based on credible intelligence indicating that Bhagirath was in the vicinity of the Police Academy in Hyderabad, a police cordon was established.
The Special Operations Team (SOT) of the Cyberabad Police arrested Bhagirath on Saturday night at Manchirevula, within the limits of the Narsingi Police Station. He was taken into custody and subsequently transported to the Petbasheerabad Police Station.
The Investigating Officer interrogated Bhagirath in the presence of panch witnesses (impartial citizens). The press release stated, “The accused has confessed to the crime. Consequently, the Investigating Officer has placed him under arrest.”
Following a medical examination, Bhagirath was produced before a magistrate, who remanded him to judicial custody.
Earlier in the day, the Cyberabad Police had issued a Lookout Circular against Bhagirath, and police teams had launched a nationwide search operation to locate him.
As part of the investigation, the statements of the alleged victim (17) and her mother were recorded before a magistrate on Saturday. The victim’s mother is the complainant in this case.
These statements were recorded to ensure credible documentation and to prevent individuals from altering their testimonies during the trial.
Meanwhile, Bandi Sanjay stated that he had instructed his son to appear before the police and cooperate with the investigation.
In a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), the Union Minister wrote, “Satyameva Jayate” (Truth alone triumphs). “With utmost respect for the law and the judiciary, my son, Bandi Bhagirath, appeared before the Telangana Police today through our lawyers for questioning.”
This development comes a day after the Telangana High Court refused to grant Bhagirath interim relief in the case.
In a statement, Bandi Sanjay said that he had urged his son to cooperate with the police immediately after the complaint was lodged last week.
The Union Minister stated that Bhagirath has repeatedly asserted that he has committed no wrongdoing. Bhagirath presented evidence in his defense to his lawyers.
According to Bandi Sanjay, the lawyers were of the opinion that the case would be dismissed and Bhagirath would be granted bail; this expectation led to the delay.
Meanwhile, Telangana Raksha Sena (TRS) President K. Kavitha wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding the removal of Minister of State for Home Affairs Sanjay Kumar from the Union Cabinet to ensure a fair and independent investigation into the POCSO case involving his son.
Dealing a major blow to Bhagirath, the Telangana High Court on Friday night dismissed his petition seeking interim protection against arrest.
While hearing the anticipatory bail petition filed by Bhagirath, the court observed that it was not inclined to grant any interim relief at this stage.
Bhagirath’s counsel had requested interim protection against arrest until an order was passed on the petition.
The police registered a case against Bhagirath on May 8 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The complaint was filed by the mother of a 17-year-old girl, alleging that Bhagirath had a relationship with her daughter and had sexually assaulted her.
Following the recording of the girl’s statement, more serious charges were invoked under the POCSO Act.
Bhagirath had also filed a complaint alleging that, after they became acquainted, the girl used to invite him to family functions and social gatherings. An FIR was registered based on his complaint. In his complaint, Bhagirath stated that, placing his trust in the girl’s family, he had accompanied them—along with some of his friends—on a pilgrimage to various religious sites.
He alleged that the girl and her parents subsequently pressured him to marry her. When he rejected the proposal, the girl’s parents allegedly demanded money and threatened to file false complaints against him if the payment was not made.
Bhagirath claimed that, out of fear, he handed over ₹50,000 to the girl’s father; however, the family later demanded ₹5 crore. He further alleged that they threatened that the girl’s mother would commit suicide if their demands were not met.
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