Bandi Sanjay Kumar's Son Seeks Anticipatory Bail in POCSO Case

Bandi Sai Bageerath, the son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, has approached the Telangana High Court for anticipatory bail in a criminal case against him. This case is registered under multiple sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. An FIR was filed by the Petbasheerabad police in the Cyberabad Commissionerate, accusing Bageerath of making sexual advances towards a 17-year-old girl under intoxication at a farmhouse during the transition from December 31, 2025, to January 1, 2026. The complaint was made by the girl’s mother.

As the High Court is currently on summer vacation, the matter will be addressed by the Vacation Bench on Thursday. The FIR lists charges under Sections 74 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which relate to assault and sexual harassment. Additionally, Sections 11 and 12 of the POCSO Act of 2012 have been invoked against Bageerath, who is 23 years old.

In his petition, Bageerath claims that a charge-sheet from a prior incident, in which the alleged victim was cited for ‘under-aged driving’ in 2021, indicated her age as 15 at that time. He argues that this suggests she is now over 18 years old. His counsel has reportedly submitted a request to law enforcement to verify her current age based on this earlier charge-sheet.

Bageerath expressed concerns regarding his imminent arrest, alleging that political adversaries and influential figures are urging his detention. He noted that the sections under which he is charged are non-bailable and has requested pre-arrest bail under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Furthermore, Bageerath has contested the claims made by the victim's mother, suggesting inconsistencies in her accusations. He pointed out that she alleged molestation and continued to assert that her daughter and Bageerath were in a relationship until January 7, 2026, even after the alleged incident.

In his petition, Bageerath also claims that he has received credible information indicating that the investigators are manipulating the laws applied in his case at the behest of the victim’s mother to make them more serious, in an effort to prevent him from obtaining bail. He emphasised his lack of prior criminal history and any pending cases against him.