Eight days after the FIR was registered, the son of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar has finally been arrested. The DCP is overseeing medical examination of the accused while the victim and her mother record their statements before the magistrate.
In a major development in the Bandi Sai Bageerath POCSO case, the accused has been arrested and produced before the IX Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate Court at Medchal. The DCP overseeing the Special Investigation Team is coordinating the medical examination of the accused, while the victim and her mother are simultaneously recording their statements before the magistrate.
The arrest comes eight days after the FIR was registered on May 8, 2026 at Petbasheerabad Police Station and just hours after the Telangana High Court, in a late-night hearing on May 15 that stretched past 11:30 PM, refused to grant Bageerath any interim protection from arrest.
HIGH COURT PAVED THE WAY AT MIDNIGHT
Justice T. Madhavi Devi, heading the vacation bench, made her position clear after going through the victim’s statement. “I don’t think I should be granting any interim order at this stage… I have gone through the statement of the victim and after going through that, at this stage, I am not inclined to grant any interim order,” the judge stated. The anticipatory bail application remains pending for a final order, but with no protection against arrest in place, the police moved swiftly.
The hearing spanned over two and a half hours and nearly touched the midnight mark before the court refused to grant interim protection. The accused’s counsel had urged the court to at least protect Bageerath from arrest until the final order was passed, but the bench declined.
8 DAYS, 1 ABSCONDING ACCUSED, 1 HIGH COURT BATTLE
The FIR was registered at Pet Basheerabad Police Station on May 8 on charges of sexually abusing a 17-year-old minor girl. Despite the seriousness of the POCSO charges, Bageerath remained unarrested and was reported to be absconding since the case against him was registered. The Cyberabad police had dispatched teams to Delhi and Karimnagar to search for him.
His lawyers moved the Telangana High Court on May 12 seeking anticipatory bail. Through multiple hearings, his counsel argued the case was false and the victim was not a minor — a claim demolished in court when hospital records confirmed she was born on August 10, 2008, making her 17 years and 3 months old at the time of the alleged assault.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW
With the accused now in custody and produced before the Medchal magistrate, the investigation enters a critical phase. The DCP is overseeing the medical examination of Bageerath as required under procedure. The victim and her mother recording their statements before the magistrate today is a significant step — their testimony before a judicial officer carries substantial legal weight in POCSO proceedings.
The anticipatory bail application before the Telangana High Court is yet to be decided. The court stated it would need more time to consider the volume of case laws and materials before pronouncing the final order. With the arrest now made, the anticipatory bail application effectively stands rendered infructuous — though the defence may still press arguments on regular bail.
BACKGROUND
On May 8, 2026, based on the mother’s complaint, an FIR was filed against Bageerath. He was initially charged with sexual harassment under the POCSO Act, with charges of aggravated sexual assault added subsequently. The victim’s mother had alleged that when the family went to Pet Baseerabad police station on May 8 to register the complaint, they were made to wait for more than five hours. Bageerath is the son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
Also Read: Bandi Bageerath POCSO Case: Victim Confirmed Minor, Court Reserves Order on Interim Bail
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