'No Wrongdoing From Our Side': Union Minister Bandi Sanjay's Son Sent To 14-day Judicial Custody In POCSO Case

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar's son, Bageerath, has been sent to 14 days of judicial custody by a magistrate in connection with a POCSO case. 

After being arrested on Saturday night, Bhageerath was brought before the magistrate at their Medchal residence around midnight and was remanded in custody until May 29.

This action followed just 24 hours after the Telangana High Court denied his request for interim protection from arrest. Following the magistrate's order, Bhageerath was subsequently moved to Cherlapally Prison.

What the lawyer said

Advocate Karunasagar, the counsel for Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar's son Bandi Bhageerath, said, "I, along with Anthony Reddy,  Senior Advocate, have surrendered Bandi Bhageerath to the police at about 8.15 pm near Tech Park. The police have taken the custody of Bandi Bhageerath...We have cooperated with the investigation...Bandi Bhageerath has given all the information and has readily agreed to cooperate with the investigation...Bandi Bhageerath has been brought to the magistrate, where the magistrate has remanded Bandi Bhageerath to judicial custody till the 29th of May. We have full confidence in the investigation, judicial procedure. We are very confident that we will be cleared of these allegations and we will come out clean. We have surrendered ourselves voluntarily to the police. I don't think we need to give any explanation regarding the same..."

What Bandi Sanjay Said

Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Sunday broke his silence following a week of intense emotional and personal turmoil for his family after his son Bandi Bagheerath joined the investigations into the alleged POCSO case registered against him.

In a post on X, Kumar expressed profound gratitude to millions of supporters while firmly asserting that his family has done no wrongdoing and will vindicate themselves through the legal system. 

In an X post, he said that due to the anxiety and emotional strain on the family, his mother suffered from a heart stroke too. He assured his supporters that there has been "no wrongdoing from our side", emphasising his unwavering commitment to the judicial process.

"Over the past one week, my family has gone through one of the most emotionally difficult phases of our lives. There were moments of pain, anxiety, helplessness and deep emotional strain. The situation affected my entire family deeply. My mother suffered a heart stroke during this difficult phase, which was very traumatic. But in these testing times, the immense love & support extended by lakhs of people across the country gave me strength to stand firm..." the minister said.

How was he arrested

As per reports, Cyberabad police issued a look-out circular to stop him from leaving the country.

According to the police, a checkpoint was set up following tips that Bhageerath was spotted near the local police academy.

The Special Operations Team (SOT) subsequently caught him at Manchirevula, within the Narsingi police jurisdiction, and transferred him to the Petbasheerabad police station.

A police statement noted that Bhageerath was interrogated in front of independent witnesses before his official arrest. The statement added that the investigating officer arrested him after he confessed to the crime. After undergoing a medical checkup, he was presented before the magistrate and sent to jail.

What is the case?

As per reports, a case was registered on May 8 based on a complaint from the mother of a 17-year-old minor girl, who alleged that Bhageerath was in a relationship with her daughter and had sexually harassed her. The police later invoked more stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after recording the victim’s statement.

Bhageerath had also filed a complaint, in which he alleged that the girl had invited him to family functions and group gatherings after they became acquainted. He claimed that he accompanied the family and friends on visits to holy places because he trusted them, but later faced pressure to marry the girl. He asserted that when he refused, the girl's parents allegedly demanded money and threatened to file false complaints if he did not comply.

According to Bhageerath, he paid Rs 50,000 to the girl’s father out of fear, but the family subsequently demanded Rs 5 crore. He also alleged that they threatened that the girl’s mother would take her own life if he did not meet their demands. The police have registered an FIR based on his counter-complaint as well, and further legal action is being taken.