Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday said his son, Bandi Bhageerath, had surrendered before the police in a POCSO case, a day after the Telangana High Court refused to grant him interim relief.
The BJP leader said he had asked his son to cooperate with the police soon after the complaint was registered last week.
"With utmost respect for the law and judiciary, today my son Bandi Bhageerath went before the Telangana Police through our advocates for investigation," Sanjay wrote on X.
"I have said this before too: whether it is my own son or a common citizen, everyone is equal before the law. My son has consistently maintained that he has committed no mistake. After consulting legal experts and placing before them the evidence available with us, we were advised that the matter would be addressed appropriately through the legal process," he added.
"At the same time, I believe in fully cooperating with the investigation and respecting the judicial system. Even though court proceedings are underway and orders are expected next week, and despite advice from our legal team, I felt there should be no hesitation from our side in cooperating with the inquiry. I have complete faith in the justice system."
Bhageerath, who has repeatedly maintained that he had done no wrongdoing, had presented evidence in his favour to his lawyers, the Union minister said.
According to Bandi Sanjay, the lawyers were of the opinion that the case would be quashed and that Bhageerath would get bail, which led to the delay.
The case centres on an FIR registered at Petbasheerabad Police Station, which includes charges under Sections 74 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for outraging modesty and sexual harassment, as well as Sections 11 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to the complaint filed by the mother of the victim, the accused allegedly entered into a relationship with the complainant's daughter in June 2025 under false promises of marriage and subjected her to inappropriate physical acts and pressure to consume alcohol between October 2025 and January 2026.
According to the FIR, after the relationship ended on January 7, the girl allegedly attempted self-harm on two occasions later that month.
While Bhageerath characterised the case as a "counterblast" to a criminal complaint he filed against the girl's family just hours earlier on the same day. His complaint at Karimnagar-II Town Police Station alleged that the girl's parents attempted to extort Rs 5 crores from him by threatening that their daughter would commit suicide if the money was not paid.