Hyderabad: A Malkajgiri court on Tuesday, May 26, granted three days’ police custody of Bandi Bageerath, who has been accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
It is learnt that the police had sought week-long custody, but received only three days.
Bageerath, who is the son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay, has been accused of sexual assault by a 17-year-old girl. The FIR was lodged on May 8.
On May 16, Bageerath was arrested at Appa Junction near Narsingi and has since been lodged in Cherlapalli Central Prison.
Bandi Bageerath POCSO case
On May 8, all hell broke loose at Bandi Sanjay’s household after the POCSO case was registered against 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 the 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, and gradually pressured him to marry her. When he refused, they demanded money. 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 controversy has triggered a political storm in Telangana, with opposition parties attacking the BJP leadership over the case.
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