Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday, May 14, adjourned the hearing of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case against Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar‘s son Bandi Bageerath, reserving the orders for the interim bail on Friday, May 15.
A plea of interim protection from arrest to Bageerath, claiming the case is politically motivated, has been filed. “The bench is expected to take a decision on the interim bail on Friday, and has posted the anticipatory bail hearing after a week,” Bageerath’s counsel stated.
The defence counsel represented by senior advocate S Niranjan Reddy disputed the victim’s claim of being a minor, citing two different birth certificates. He also furnished a 2021 rash-driving chargesheet involving the victim, where her age at the time was recorded as 15. This would mean she would be a major by now.
“When the judge asked the public prosecutor about the discrepancies in the birth certificates, the latter asked time till Friday,” one of Bageerath’s counsels told the media persons after the hearing.
“Based on the counter filed by the prosecution’s counsel, there will be further arguments that would be made by Niranjan Reddy,” the junior advocate said.
He said that the victim’s chats with Bageerath were also submitted, where there was no indication of any force or intimidation by the accused. He also said that though the victim has claimed that she was sexually assaulted on the night of December 31 at a farmhouse by the accused, there was no formal police complaint lodged even four months after the incident, which raises suspicion.
Another point raised by the prosecution was that the accused being the son of a prominent political personality, was seeking special treatment to get a bail in the POCSO case.
The defence advocate Niranjan Reddy countered that argument saying it could be taken in the reverse way. He argued that the vilification and social media trial of Bageerath was happening more because he is the son of a political figure.
Reddy also pointed out how posters were being pasted in Hyderabad, Karimnagar and elsewhere, portraying Bageerath as an accused who has been absconding.
“The defendant is claiming that he is further being victimised by political parties and a media trail using such posters,” one of the defence counsels pointed out.
The defence counsel also submitted past precedents set by the Supreme Court in three POCSO cases, and argued that there was no rule that the accused in such cognizable offences could be arrested and interrogated.
He also noted that the past precedents of the Supreme Court’s judgements came in cases relating to common citizens, and not concerning persons with special privileges.
The defence counsel informed the media that whether Bageerath would appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for questioning will depend on the interim bail orders on Friday.
Background of the POCSO case
On May 8, all hell broke loose at the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay’s household after a POCSO case was registered against his son, Bandi Bageerath, at the Pet Basheerabad police station, following allegations made by the family of a 17-year-old girl.
According to the complainant, Bageerath made the victim consume alcohol and sexually assaulted her at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Hyderabad on three separate occasions.
Bageerath filed a counter-complaint with police in Karimnagar alleging extortion and intimidation by the girl and her parents. He said the girl became acquainted with him and invited him to family functions and group gatherings.
He alleged that the girl’s family later pressured him to marry her and demanded money after he refused. He claimed that he paid Rs 50,000 to the girl’s father out of fear, but the family later demanded Rs 5 crore and threatened to file false complaints if he failed to comply.
Following Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s orders, a Special Investigation Team was constituted and Kukatpally Deputy Commissioner of Police Ritiraj was deputed to head it.
On May 12, the Petbasheerabad Police altered the charges of the POCSO from harassment of a child to aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
The following day, the Union Minister’s son failed to appear for questioning before the SIT at the Pet Basheerabad Police Station, and requested two days time that would enable him to “collate the relevant material, documents and information in his possession, and assist the investigation into the false allegations made against him and his family.”
The controversy has triggered a political storm in Telangana, with opposition parties attacking the BJP leadership over the case.
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