Telangana CM orders DGP to probe POCSO case against Bandi Sanjay’s son

The CM directed the DGP to form special teams to investigate the case against Bandi Bhagirath.

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday, May 11, directed Director General of Police (DGP) CV Anand to investigate the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case registered against Bandi Bhagirath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay, while questioning why the probe had stalled.

Revanth Reddy instructed the DGP to constitute special teams for the investigation. He asked Anand why no action had been taken against the BJP leader’s son despite a case being registered by the Pet Basheerabad Police. The DGP told the Chief Minister that personnel had been tied up in bandobast duty ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s public meeting in Hyderabad.

Separately, Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TSCPCR) Chairperson Kothakota Sitha Dayakar Reddy said a special bench would take up the case after obtaining details from the Hyderabad Police.

Meanwhile, Telangana DGP CV Anand has appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kukatpally, Ritiraj to investigate the POCSO case registered against Bandi Bhagirath.

BJP state unit distances itself from Bhagirath’s case

BJP State President N Ramchander Rao has played down the allegations against Bandi Sanjay’s son Bhagirath as an incident which happened in their family, which the party has nothing to do with.

Stating that even Bandi Sanjay had nothing to do with the case, he said that if one of his family members were involved in the case, the law will take its own course and it will be investigated by the court.

POCSO case against Bandi Bhagirath

Telangana Police registered a case against Bandi Sai Bhagirath on May 8 at the Pet Basheerabad Police Station in Hyderabad under Sections 74 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 11 and 12 of the POCSO Act.

The complainant, a girl aged around 17, alleged she was made to consume alcohol and then sexually assaulted at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Hyderabad on two separate occasions.

The counter-complaint

On the same day the POCSO case was registered, Bhagirath filed his own complaint at the Two Town Police Station in Karimnagar. In it, he named the minor girl and her parents, accusing them of intimidation and extortion.

Bhagirath said he had met the girl through common friends and that the two had developed a friendly relationship over time, with their families socialising together and visiting temples in Vijayawada, Arunachalam and Tirumala.

He alleged that the girl’s parents later pressured him to marry her and, when he refused, threatened to file criminal cases against him. He said he paid the girl’s father Rs 50,000 on one occasion, after which the family allegedly demanded Rs 5 crore, with the girl’s mother threatening suicide if the amount was not paid.

Bhagirath also claimed that some of his friends had faced similar pressure from the same family and had filed a complaint at Nirmal Police Station in Adilabad district in April 2026. He urged police to investigate the threats and provide him protection.

The Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also written a letter to Hyderabad Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar seeking suo-Moto action against Bandi Bhagirath.

BRS approaches Women’s Commission

In a related development, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders filed a representation before the Telangana State Women Commission on Monday, accusing the police of deliberately diluting the POCSO charges against Bhagirath and shielding him from investigation.

The party alleged a stark double standard in policing, while Bhagirath’s counter-complaint against the minor victim and her parents was swiftly converted into an FIR at Karimnagar Two Town Police Station, the victim’s complaint under the POCSO Act was registered under lesser provisions with no custodial interrogation or protective action initiated against the accused.

The BRS urged the Commission to call for case records, recommend the addition of stringent POCSO provisions, and ensure no retaliatory action was taken against the victim’s family.

BRS leader wants lookout notice and reward for Bhagirath’s arrest

BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar demanded the Cyberabad police to issue lookout notice against Bandi Bhagirath, and also announce a reward to anybody who could assist in finding the whereabouts of Bhagirath.

He also demanded that Bandi Sanjay’s name be included as A2, and BJP spokesperson Sangappa to be included as A3 in the First Information Report (FIR).

Suspecting the police department of trying protect bhagirath, Praveen Kumar questioned how a FIR was registered against the victim’s family based on Bhagirath’s complaint within minutes, while it took the Pet Basheerabad police 5 hours to respond to the complaint lodged by the victim’s mother.

Also observing that the police booked Bhagirath under Sections 11 and 12 of the POCSO Act, which according to him were too lenient, Praveen Kumar demanded that the seriousness of the crime mandated invoking Sections 6, 7 and 8 of the Act, which could lead to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted of the crime.

Wondering what was stopping the police from taking action even days after the complaint was lodged against Bhagirath, Praveen Kumar questioned what were the Special Investigation Teams and Task Force Teams of Cyberabad police were doing.

As per the complaint lodged by the victim’s mother, Praveen Kumar said that Sangappa, former reporter, who is now a BJP leader, had mediated between the victim’s family and Bandi Sanjay, and had brought the family to have a discussion with Bandi Sanjay on the issue, where the union minister had allegedly threatened the victim’s family.

Praveen Kumar felt that in such circumstances, the investigation couldn’t be fair, and that the union minister could influence the investigation and threaten the victims, the reason why Union home Minister Amit Shah needed to immediately suspend Bandi Sanjay from his post.

He also felt that because of Enforcement directorate cases against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, the Congress government was reluctant in taking action against Bhagirath, the reason why no Congress leaders were commenting on the issue.

He implored the people’s organisations, caste based organisations and human rights organisations to respond on the issue, and help the victim in getting justice.

TSCPCR takes cognizance of POCSO case

Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TSCPCR) Chairperson Kothakota Seetha Dayakar Reddy responded to the POSCO case registered against Bandi Bhagirath at Pet Basheerabad Police Station.

A special bench was formed for the investigation after obtaining details from the city police commissioner.