Hyderabad, May 14: The Cyberabad police have dispatched teams to Delhi and Karimnagar in search of Bandhi Bhagirath, the son of Union Minister Bandhi Sanjay. He is allegedly involved in a case of sexual assault against a minor girl.
Bhagirath failed to appear before the police despite receiving a notice on Wednesday. Consequently, the police initiated a manhunt for his arrest related to the POCSO case.
Reports indicate that the Pet Bashirabad police sent a second notice to Bhagirath’s uncle in Karimnagar, where his mobile phone’s last location was tracked.
On Wednesday, Bhagirath sent a letter to the station house officer at the Pet Bashirabad police station, requesting a two-day extension to appear.
The minister’s son has approached the Telangana High Court for interim bail. A hearing on his petition is scheduled for Thursday.
Bhagirath’s legal team plans to argue in court that the girl is not a minor, thus claiming that the POCSO Act does not apply in this case. They reportedly possess documents related to the victim’s actual age, which were previously submitted in a road accident case.
Meanwhile, posters have been put up in Karimnagar claiming that Bhagirath is on the run. Residents are urged to inform the police if they see him.
These posters feature images of Bhagirath and his father, Bandhi Sanjay, who is a Member of Parliament from Karimnagar. Similar posters were also displayed in parts of Hyderabad on Wednesday, although the identity of those responsible remains unknown.
On May 8, a case was registered against Bhagirath at the Pet Bashirabad police station under the POCSO Act, accusing him of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl.
Following the victim’s complaint that Bhagirath assaulted her at a farmhouse in Moinabad, the police filed the case. On Monday, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao directed Police Chief C.V. Anand to initiate an investigation into the matter.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rithiraj was assigned to oversee the investigation. He spoke with the victim on Tuesday to gather more information.
Subsequently, the police added stringent sections to the POCSO Act in the FIR, including Section 5(1) read with Section 6, which pertains to severe sexual assault and carries a potential sentence of 20 years or more.
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