POCSO case: ‘Absconding’ posters on Bandi Sanjay’s son surface across Hyderabad

Posters declaring Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s son Bandi Bhageerath as “absconding” have surfaced across Hyderabad on Wednesday (May 13).

The posters have come up after a complaint was registered against Bhageerath at the Pet Basheerabad police station on May 8. In the complaint, a minor girl alleged that Bhageerath sexually assaulted her. Since the complaint involved a minor and allegations of sexual assault, the police registered a case against him under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Bhageerath’s counter-complaint

After learning that a POCSO case had been filed against him based on the girl’s complaint, the accused immediately lodged a counter-complaint with the Karimnagar police against the girl and her mother, accusing them of honey-trapping and blackmailing him.

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The police registered this complaint as well and booked a case. However, since then, the accused has reportedly been absconding. While the minor girl who filed the complaint is available for police investigation, many are questioning why the accused, who filed a complaint against the girl and her mother, has gone into hiding. This is where the police response has turned into a political controversy.

Normally, whenever a POCSO case is registered against someone, the police immediately arrest the accused, interrogate him, and later produce him before the court. But in this case, the police neither detained Bhageerath for questioning nor arrested and produced him in court. Opposition parties have begun alleging that this is only because the accused is the son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

On Tuesday, Bhageerath moved the Telangana High Court seeking anticipatory bail.

Opposition attacks CM Reddy

BRS Working President KT Rama Rao and other party leaders are attacking Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, alleging that the police are not taking the case seriously because he is supporting the Union Minister’s son. Former CPI MLA Chada Venkat Reddy has also levelled allegations against Revanth Reddy.

To counter the Opposition’s criticism, Reddy constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. However, controversy has continued even over the SIT issuing notices asking Bhageerath to appear for questioning. Critics are mocking the police, asking why notices were being served “as if delivering a wedding invitation” instead of tracing and arresting the accused.

Police say they do not know where the accused has been for the last three days and that his phone has been switched off. While claiming that they are searching for him, the police on Wednesday issued notices at his maternal uncle’s house asking him to appear before the investigation team at 2 pm. This has further raised suspicions over the police approach. Questions are now being raised as to why the notices were served at the maternal uncle’s residence instead of the accused’s own house. So far, the police have not given any explanation. Bhageerath did not appear before the police as the 2 pm deadline passed.

TRS chief Kavitha demands look-out circular

Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) chief K Kavitha has also criticised the police conduct and called on the state police to issue a look-out circular against Bhageerath.

According to her, the look-out circular is necessary as the "BJP is in the habit of making those facing allegations leave the country". Kavitha told reporters here that a look-out circular would instil public confidence in the transparency of the probe into the allegations.

Many people are unwilling to believe Kumar’s claim that he does not know where his son is. Kumar himself has often said that even his own son should be punished if found guilty. Because of this, public suspicion is now extending to the Union Minister as well. BJP leaders, however, are avoiding speaking openly on the issue. BJP’s Telangana unit president Naraparaju Ramchander Rao told the media that “this is their family matter and the party has nothing to do with it”. Beyond that, no BJP leader appears willing to comment further.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Telangana)