Bandi Sai Bageerath, son of junior minister for Home Affairs and a BJP MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, was arrested on Saturday in connection with the the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case, after days of legal maneuvering.
An FIR was filed against Bageerath, 25, on May 8, 2026, based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old minor girl.
He was initially charged with sexual harassment under the POCSO Act, with charges of aggravated sexual assault added subsequently.
The complaint stated that Bageerath met the girl through mutual friends in June 2025 and allegedly sexually abused or assaulted her on at least four occasions between October and December 2025.
The High Court Blow
Cyberabad police had issued a look-out circular against Bageerath to prevent him from fleeing the country, and search teams had been formed to apprehend him. His arrest came a day after a significant legal blow — the Telangana High Court, hearing his anticipatory bail plea late into the night, refused to grant him interim protection from arrest.
Justice T. Madhavi Devi said she was not inclined to pass any interim order at this stage, observing: "I have gone through the statement of the victim, though not in detail but cursorily, and at this stage I'm not inclined to grant any interim order."
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What His Father And Minister Sanjay Kumar Said
With legal options exhausted for the moment, his father took to X and said everyone is equal before the law.
"With utmost respect for the law and judiciary, today my son Bandi Bhageerath went before the Telangana Police through our advocates for investigation. 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," the minister said.
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The Blame Game
The victim's counsel had opposed any relief, citing the political stature of Bandi Sanjay Kumar and arguing that interim protection could lead to further obstruction of the case and intimidation of the victim's family, NDTV reported.
Meanwhile, Bandi Sai has maintained that the case was the result of a "honey-trap and extortion attempt". He said he had earlier approached the police, alleging that the girl and her parents were pressuring him to marry her and demanding Rs 5 crore.
Kumar had also rejected the allegations and said they were "false propaganda" being spread by the Opposition.
The High Court is expected to take up the anticipatory bail application again on May 21.
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