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Hyderabad: In the past two days, leaders from both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have played down the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) case against Bandi Bageerath.

While speaking to a reporter on Wednesday, May 20, the BJP MLA from Amrur, Paidi Rakesh Reddy, said that “friendships between boys and girls are very common these days,” adding that since the victim and Bandi Bageerath have been very close for a long time, he hopes that the two families will sit together and find a solution amicably.

“It’s just a matter of three months anyways…” he said, alluding to the fact that the victim will be over 18 years in three months.

A day earlier, the Congress MP for Nagarkurnool, Mallu Ravi, who is also the brother of Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, had hit out at the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for demanding Bandi Sanjay’s resignation (the father of Bageerath). “The Home Minister (referring to Bandi Sanjay) has already surrendered his son; it is not reasonable to ask for his resignation… anyhow, the police are investigating the matter,” he said.

Referring to Kavitha’s arrest in the liquor scam case in 2024, Mallu Ravi said, “When Kavitha got arrested, did KTR and Harish Rao resign? Then why are they asking for a resignation now?”

Bandi Bageerath POCSO case

A POCSO case was registered against Bandi Bageerath at the Pet Basheerabad Police Station on May 8, following allegations made by the family of a 17-year-old girl.

According to the complainant, Bageerath made the victim consume alcohol and sexually assaulted her at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Hyderabad on two separate occasions.

Meanwhile, Bageerath filed a counter-complaint with the police in Karimnagar alleging extortion and intimidation by the girl and her parents.

He said the girl became acquainted with him and invited him to family functions and group gatherings.

Bhageerath alleged that the girl’s family later pressured him to marry her and demanded money after he refused. He claimed that he paid Rs 50,000 to the girl’s father out of fear, but the family later demanded Rs 5 crore and threatened to file false complaints if he failed to comply.

Following Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s orders, a Special Investigation Team was constituted and Kukatpally Deputy Commissioner of Police Ritiraj was deputed to head it.

On May 12, the Pet Basheerabad Police altered the charges of the POCSO from harassment of a child to aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

The same day, Bageerath approached the Telangana High Court seeking an interim bail.

Hearing the case on May 15, Justice T Madhavi Devi, declined to pronounce any orders before going through the voluminous information shared by both the parties, especially the statement of the victim.

On May 16, Bageerath was taken into police custody. While his father, Bandi Sanjay, claimed that Bageerath had surrendered himself, the Cyberabad Police Commissioner Ramesh Reddy said that he was arrested at Appa Junction near the Telangana Police Academy in Narsingi.

Bageerath was produced before the Medchal court, which remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody till May 29. He was then sent to the Cherlapally Central Prison.