Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s son Bhageerath surrenders amid POCSO investigation
Union Minister and BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s son, Bhageerath, on Saturday surrendered before the police after a look-out circular was issued against him in connection to a POCSO case.
The Cyberabad police had issued the look-out circular against Bhageerath to prevent him from fleeing the country.
Searches were being conducted on Saturday to nab Bageerath, who wad denied interim protection from arrest by the Telangana High Court on Friday night.
Meanwhile, the issue has taken a political turn, with Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) president K Kavitha writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which she has called for the sacking of Bandi Sanjay Kumar from his position as Minister of State (Home) from the Union Cabinet in order to “ensure a free and fair investigation in the POCSO case involving his son”.
Details of the case against Bageerath
The POCSO case against Bageerath was filed under relevant sections of the BNS and POCSO act on 8 May by the mother of a 17-year-old girl. The complainant alleged that the minister’s son was in a relationship with her daughter and had sexually harassed her.
Post recording of the victim’s statement, a number of stringent sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were invoked in the case, as per a PTI report.
Bageerath’s counter-complaint
A counter-complaint was launched by Bageerath as well. In it he alleged that the girl, who had gotten acquainted with him, had invited him to group gatherings and family functions. An FIR was also registered based on his complaint.
In his complaint, Bageerath said that he accompanied the girl’s family to holy places as part of a group of friends because he believed her family to be trustworthy. He has also alleged that the girl’s family pressurised him to marry her, and when he rejected their proposal, they demanded money from him and also threatened to file false complaints against him if he refused to pay.
Bageerath, as per the PTI report, claimed that he paid the girl’s father a sum of ₹50,000 out of fear but the family later increased their demand to ₹5 crore. He also claimed that the family threatened him by saying that the girl’s mother would kill herself if he failed to meet their demands.
Asked son to appear before police, claims Bandi Sanjay
On Saturday, Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that he had asked his son to appear before the police and join the investigation.
The Union Minister of State issued a statement in which he said that he had asked his son to cooperate with the authorities immediately after the case was lodged on 8 May.
He also said that his son has been maintaining his innocence in the case and has presented evidence regarding the same to his lawyers.
According to the minister, the lawyers have said that the case would be quashed and Bageerath would get bail, which has led to the delay in him surrendering.
