Hyderabad: The Petbasheerabad police on Sunday, May 17, registered fresh criminal cases against 24 media organisations for allegedly broadcasting and publishing photographs, videos and personal details of a minor girl and her family in connection with the Bandi Sai Bageerath POCSO case.
The cases were registered following a complaint lodged by the chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, Medchal-Malkajgiri district. Police invoked Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, Section 72(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 23 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which prohibit disclosure of the identity and details of minor victims.
Social media users also booked
According to police, cases were also booked against several social media users who allegedly shared and circulated photographs, videos and personal information of the 17-year-old victim and her parents across various platforms.
Police officials said Instagram and Facebook account IDs, along with URLs used to circulate the material, had been identified. Cybercrime and IT teams are currently working to trace the individuals operating the accounts.
A senior police officer warned that stringent action would be taken against anyone found sharing, reposting or amplifying sensitive content related to the minor victim or her family members on social media.
Charminar police files seperate cases
Meanwhile, the Charminar police also registered separate cases on Sunday based on a complaint filed by the Registrar of the Telangana High Court over viral social media posts and reports concerning the judiciary.
The complaint alleged that false claims were being circulated stating that Union Minister of State Bandi Sanjay Kumar had attempted to influence a member of the judiciary to secure anticipatory bail for his son. The posts further alleged efforts to influence police officials, mainstream media and social media platforms.
In the complaint, the Registrar stated that the content had been widely viewed by judges, advocates and the public, and had the potential to damage the reputation and credibility of the judiciary.
Based on the complaint, Charminar police registered cases under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Registrar emphasised that false and malicious narratives targeting judges undermine public confidence in the judicial system and must be addressed strictly under the law.
Police said an investigation is underway to identify the origin, authorship and motive behind the circulation of the posts and messages.
