KARIMNAGAR/HYDERABAD: A case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been registered against Bandi Bhageerath, son of Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, following a complaint filed by the mother of a 17-year-old girl at Pet Basheerabad police station in Hyderabad.
Hours earlier, Bhageerath had lodged a complaint at Karimnagar II Town police station alleging that the girl and her parents attempted to extort Rs 5 crore from him by threatening to implicate him in false criminal cases.
In her complaint filed on Friday night, the girl’s mother alleged that Bhageerath had been harassing her daughter for over six months after becoming acquainted with her through common friends in Hyderabad on the promise of marriage. She alleged that he forced the minor to consume alcohol at a farmhouse in Moinabad and touched her inappropriately despite her objections.
Based on the complaint, Pet Basheerabad police registered a case against Bhageerath under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 11 of the POCSO Act.
In his complaint to Karimnagar police, Bhageerath stated that he had developed friendly relations with the girl’s family after meeting her through a common friend. He claimed they frequently invited him and his friends to family gatherings and spiritual trips, including visits to Vijayawada, Arunachalam and Tirumala.
CONGRESS DEMANDS ACTION, BRS LEADER SEEKS CBI PROBE
Bhageerath alleged that the family later pressured him to marry the girl and threatened to file false criminal cases after he refused.
Bhageerath further alleged that the family demanded large sums of money and mentally harassed him. He claimed that he paid `50,000 to the girl’s father out of fear and alleged that the girl’s mother threatened suicide if he failed to pay `5 crore. He also alleged that some of his friends had faced similar issues with the same family and that a complaint had previously been lodged against the girl at Nirmal police station.
Based on his complaint, Karimnagar II Town police registered a case against the girl and her parents under Sections 308(5) (extortion), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) read with 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS.
Reacting to the development, the Congress, on its official X handle, accused Bhageerath of sexually assaulting a minor girl and demanded strict action in the case. The party also alleged that he had been involved in several controversies in the past, including allegations of threatening people, assaulting students and misbehaving with women.
The Congress also accused BJP leaders of misusing political power and influence.
Meanwhile, BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar demanded a CBI probe into the incident. He alleged that the victim’s parents were facing threats and claimed that Bhageerath was being portrayed as the victim through the Karimnagar case.
Referring to earlier ragging cases allegedly registered against Bhageerath at Mahindra University, he rejected the “honey trap” theory. He demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the issue during his Hyderabad visit.