POCSO case: Hyderabad police issue Lookout Circular as Bandi Sai Bageerath remains untraceable

Bandi Sai Bageerath, accused in a POCSO case registered at Petbasheerabad police station, has evaded police summons for eight consecutive days despite the High Court refusing to grant him protection from arrest.

Hyderabad: Even as the police make efforts to trace him, Bandi Sai Bageerath, who is an accused person in a POCSO case registered at Petbasheerabad police station, has continued to ignore the call to appear before the police for the eighth consecutive day.

The case of inappropriate behaviour with a minor girl, which fuelled large-scale anger among citizens, particularly women across the state, has the suspect evading the police even after the High Court refused to give a no-arrest order till the final outcome of the arguments on the anticipatory bail petition is announced by the vacation bench.

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Meanwhile, the police teams conducted searches at various places including Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Delhi and Bengaluru based on information that Sai Bageerath could be in hiding.

In a latest move, fearing the suspect might flee the country, police have issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) to all airports, seaports and international border crossings, alerting law enforcement agencies about his involvement in the POCSO case.

The LOC, a letter containing physical details, personal details and passport details, is uploaded into the immigration department’s database and officials stop the person at the check post or airport or seaport if the person attempts to leave the country.

The case was registered against Sai Bageerath at Petbasheerabad police station last week by the survivor’s mother alleging the suspect had sexually abused and inappropriately behaved with the minor girl on several occasions. The police after recording the statement of the girl, altered the sections of the case to more serious charges including sexual assault.

After the case was registered, the Petbasheerabad police had issued notices to Dr. Vamshi Krishna, maternal uncle of Sai Bageerath asking him to present Sai Bageerath before the police.

However, the notices were not complied with. The suspect was reportedly at his uncle’s house and used his mobile phone from there before switching off the gadget and going into hiding.

The suspect’s efforts to delay the police processes by approaching for an interim bail too failed to fructify after the High Court on Friday night reserved orders on the plea. The verdict on the anticipatory bail is likely to be announced on Thursday.

Following this, speculations were rife on Saturday that Sai Bageerath could be surrendering himself before the Petbasheerabad police. In the afternoon, the security outside the police station was increased and the deployment continued till the late evening. However, there was no trace of Sai Bageerath.

The police higher ups throughout the day maintained the police teams were conducting raids at different places to nab Sai Bageerath, whose whereabouts so far remain a mystery.