Hyderabad: The Medchal Malkajgiri court in Hyderabad has granted Union Minister Bandi Sanjay’s son Bandi Sai Bhageerath interim bail for five days to appear for his examinations at the Mahindra University. Bhageerath is accused of sexually harassing and assaulting a 17-year-old girl.
The judgement was passed Saturday and the judge hearing the case asked Bhageerath to surrender to the court on 26 June upon finishing his exams.
The Cyberabad Police (Petbasheerabad police) had arrested him on 16 May over a complaint by the survivor’s mother. Bhageerath, the elder son of MoS Home Affairs Sanjay, was booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita in May.
The case also sparked a political controversy in Telangana, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders distancing themselves from the matter, and the Bharat Rashtra Samthi (BRS) demanding Union Minister Sanjay’s dismissal from the Union cabinet.
In the first information report (FIR), the 17-year-old girl’s mother had alleged that Bhageerath, who was in a relationship with her daughter, had sexually harassed her on the pretext of marrying her. Bhageerath also purportedly leaked their private pictures on social media, causing the minor to allegedly attempt suicide, it is learnt.
The FIR also stated that Bhageerath had been harassing the girl for over six months and that he had misbehaved with her at a farmhouse in Moinabad, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The complainant claimed that the two had come in contact with each other through common friends, and that the accused took undue advantage of their closeness.
While the police said that the alleged affair had begun nearly nine months before the arrest, the minister’s family refuted these allegations.
Bhageerath, who is in his early 20s, had also filed a counter-complaint just hours before the complaint against him was lodged on 16 May, alleging extortion and criminal intimidation by the teen and her parents.
The politically sensitive case continues to create much furore among the Opposition in the state, a month after Bhageerath’s arrest.
Former IPS officer and BRS leader R.S. Praveen Kumar earlier alleged that the girl’s family was made to wait for several hours before the Petbasheerabad police to ensure that the FIR was registered first in Karimnagar.
Other BRS leaders, K.T. Rama Rao and Harish Rao, also accused Bhageerath of misusing his father’s power and position as he was found on the wrong side of the law three years ago as well. In January 2023, Bhageerath was involved in a controversy regarding the alleged assault of a fellow student.
While Minister Sanjay has not defended his son’s actions, he has called the POCSO case a “political hit job” aimed at maligning his image ahead of the imminent cabinet reshuffle. He also alleged that his political opponents did not want a Backward Classes (BC) leader to rise in politics. Sanjay hails from the BC community and was the former president of the BJP in Telangana.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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