Hyderabad, May 17: The lawyer of Bandhi Bhagirath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandhi Sanjay Kumar, claimed on Sunday that his client was not arrested by the police but voluntarily surrendered.
Hours after a magistrate remanded Bhagirath to 14 days of judicial custody, his lawyer Karuna Sagar stated that the Cyberabad police were misleading the public by claiming that Bhagirath had been arrested.
Sagar said, “In reality, he voluntarily surrendered before the SOT Cyberabad police and fully cooperated with the investigation. Presenting voluntary appearance and cooperation as ‘arrest’ is misleading and creates a false public perception.”
He urged the media and the public to understand the difference between voluntary surrender and arrest in custody.
However, the Cyberabad police issued a statement late Saturday night confirming that Bhagirath had been arrested. According to the police, he was presented before a magistrate after questioning, where he was sent to judicial custody.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner M. Ramesh reported that a case was registered on May 8 at the Pet Bashirabad police station based on the victim’s complaint. During the investigation, statements from the victim and other witnesses were recorded.
Based on the victim’s statement, sections 64(2)(m) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 5(1) and 6 of the POCSO Act were added to the case.
According to the police, acting on credible information, the Cyberabad SOT team detained Bhagirath near a tech park in Manchirevula, Narasingi, around 8:15 PM on May 16 and took him to the Pet Bashirabad police station.
The police claimed that during questioning, the accused confessed to the crime, after which he was formally arrested. Following a medical examination, he was presented before a magistrate.
Earlier, Union Minister Bandhi Sanjay Kumar had stated on social media platform X that his son was not arrested but had gone to the police station for questioning.
He mentioned that Bhagirath arrived at the Pet Bashirabad police station in the presence of two lawyers.
This incident occurred a day after the Telangana High Court denied Bhagirath interim relief from arrest. Justice T. Madhavi Devi refused to grant any interim relief after reviewing the victim’s statement.
Bhagirath faces allegations of sexual harassment of a minor girl under the POCSO Act. Meanwhile, a counter-complaint has been filed by the accused in Karimnagar, alleging that the girl’s family attempted to extort ₹5 crores.
My name is Narendra Jijhontiya. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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