Hyderabad police register POCSO case against Bandi Sanjay’s son

A POCSO case has been registered against Bandi Sai Bageerath, son of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, following allegations by a minor girl in Hyderabad. Bageerath has filed a counter-complaint accusing the girl’s family of attempting to extort Rs 5 crore

Hyderabad: In a development that is bound to generate intense political heat, a criminal case of sexual assault on a minor girl was registered against Bandi Sai Bageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay, in Petbasheerabad police station limits in the city.

The registration of the case under stringent provisions of the POCSO Act came to light on Saturday, even as Bandi Sai Bageerath lodged a case against the girl and her parents, accusing them of trying to extort money from him in a police station in Karimnagar Commissionerate.

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The case against Bandi Sai Bageerath was registered after the minor victim, aged around 17 years, approached the Petbasheerabad police along with her parents and lodged the complaint. She alleged that Sai Bageerath had touched her inappropriately on December 31 last year at a farmhouse in Moinabad after forcing her to consume alcohol, despite her objections.

The Petbasheerabad police confirmed the registration of the case. “Based on a complaint, a case has been registered under the POCSO Act, and investigation is under way,” Petbasheerabad Inspector K Vijaya Vardhan said.

The case surfaced a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to Hyderabad, with the BJP making massive arrangements for a public meeting to be addressed by Modi.

In addition, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay is already embroiled in a controversy over the attack on Karimnagar MLA’s office and on BRS legislator Padi Kaushik Reddy two days ago. BJP workers attacked the MLA’s office when Padi Kaushik Reddy was inside, allegedly provoked over statements made by Kaushik Reddy against Bandi Sanjay. The BRS has accused the Union Minister of engineering the Karimnagar attack.

In the counter case registered against the girl and her parents, Bandi Sai Bageerath alleged that the family was trying to extort Rs 5 crore from him and that they made demands for payment of money.

He maintained in his complaint that he had already paid Rs 50,000 to the family. He stated that the girl’s family befriended him and that he had visited different temples and attended family functions too.