Hyderabad: Bhagirath, son of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, was arrested by the police on Saturday night in a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case and later sent to judicial custody by the magistrate. A senior police officer said, “The police have arrested the accused.”
In a release issued after midnight, Cyberabad Police Commissioner informed that different teams were sent to Karimnagar, Delhi and other places to nab Bhagirath. The team also searched the houses of his acquaintances and other places where the accused frequently visited. Reliable information was received that Bhagiratha is near the Police Academy in Hyderabad, on the basis of which the blockade was imposed.
The Special Operation Team (SOT) of Cyberabad police arrested Bhagirath at Manchirevula under Narsingi police station area on Saturday night. He was taken into custody. After this he was taken to Petbashirabad police station. Bhagiratha was interrogated by the investigating officer in the presence of five witnesses (impartial citizens).
“The accused has confessed to his crime,” the release said. Therefore, the investigating officer arrested him.” After medical examination, Bhagirath was produced before the magistrate, who remanded him to judicial custody. Earlier in the day, Cyberabad police had issued a lookout circular against Bhagirath and the police team had launched a nationwide search operation to trace him. As part of the investigation, the statements of the alleged victim (17) and her mother were recorded before the magistrate on Saturday. The victim’s mother is the complainant in this case. The depositions were recorded to ensure reliable documentation and to prevent individuals from changing their statements during the trial.
However, Bundy Sanjay said that he has asked his son to appear before the police and cooperate in the investigation. The Union Minister said in a post on ‘X’, “Satyamev Jayate. With full respect to the law and the judiciary, today my son Bandi Bhagiratha appeared before the Telangana Police for investigation through our lawyers.
The development comes a day after the Telangana High Court refused to grant interim relief to Bhagiratha in the case. Bundy Sanjay said in a statement that he had urged his son to cooperate with the police immediately after the complaint was filed last week. The Union Minister said that Bhagiratha has repeatedly said that he has not done any wrong. Bhagiratha presented evidence in his favor before his lawyers.
According to Bundy Sanjay, the lawyers believed that the case would be dismissed and Bhagirath would get bail which led to the delay. Meanwhile, Telangana Raksha Sena (TRS) president K. Kavita has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the removal of Minister of State for Home Sanjay Kumar from the Union Cabinet so that a fair and independent investigation can be ensured in the POCSO case related to her son. In a major blow to Bhagiratha, the Telangana High Court on Friday night rejected his plea for interim protection from arrest.
Hearing the anticipatory bail plea filed by Bhagirath, the court said it was not inclined to grant any interim relief at this stage. Bhagirath’s lawyer had sought interim protection from arrest till orders are passed on the petition. The police registered a case against Bhagirath on May 8 under relevant sections of the Indian Justice Code (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. The complaint was filed by the mother of the 17-year-old girl, who alleged that Bhagirath had an affair with her daughter and sexually assaulted her. After recording the girl’s statement, more serious charges were leveled under the POCSO Act. Bhagirath had also filed a complaint in which he had alleged that after getting acquainted with him, the girl used to invite him to family functions and group gatherings. An FIR was registered based on his complaint. In the complaint, Bhagirath said that considering the girl’s family trustworthy, he along with some of his friends had gone on a trip to some religious places with them.
He alleged that the girl and her parents later pressurized him to get married. When the offer was rejected, the girl’s parents allegedly demanded money and threatened to file false complaints against them if the money was not given. Bhagirath claimed that out of fear he gave Rs 50,000 to the girl’s father but the family later demanded Rs 5 crore. She also alleged that they threatened that the girl’s mother would commit suicide if their demands were not met.
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