Hyderabad, May 11 (IANS): Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday directed Director General of Police C.V. Anand to immediately initiate a comprehensive investigation into the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case registered against Bandi Bhagirath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay, following the alleged sexual assault on a 17-year-old minor girl. The Chief Minister questioned the DGP over the delay in taking action despite the complaint having been lodged on May 8 at Pet Basheerabad Police Station, and directed the constitution of special teams for the probe. Following the Chief Minister’s direction, the DGP constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case, while the Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TSCPCR) also formed a special Bench to hear the matter, with TSCPCR Chairperson Kothakota Seetha Dayakar Reddy obtaining details from the City Police Commissioner. The DGP informed the Chief Minister that the delay was partly due to the entire police force being engaged in security arrangements for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Hyderabad.
The case stems from a complaint by the girl’s mother, who alleged that Bhagirath had been harassing their daughter for over six months and had allegedly misbehaved with her at a farmhouse in Moinabad, following which police registered a case against him under Section 11 of the POCSO Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). In a counter move, Bhagirath, 25, had earlier lodged a complaint at Karimnagar II Town Police Station alleging that the girl and her parents attempted to honey trap him and demanded Rs 5 crore to not file a police complaint against him, leading to a case being booked against the girl and her parents under various BNS sections for extortion, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, and common intention. The actions by the Chief Minister and TSCPCR came amid continuing protests by the Opposition Bharath Rashtra Samithi (BRS) demanding swift action against Bandi Sanjay’s son. Bandi Sanjay has denied the allegations, claiming that political rivals were trying to tarnish his image through false accusations.