Cyberabad police teams fanned out to Delhi and Karimnagar on Thursday, hunting for Bandi Sai Bageerath—the 25-year-old son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar—after he skipped a summons in a high-profile POCSO case involving alleged sexual assault of a minor girl.
The Pet Basheerabad police station registered the FIR on May 8 based on a complaint from the 17-year-old survivor’s mother, initially under harassment charges but later upgraded to serious POCSO sections including Section 5(1) read with Section 6 for aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
Bageerath failed to appear for questioning on Wednesday despite a formal notice, prompting police to declare him absconding and launch a manhunt using call detail records (CDR) and other surveillance tools.
DCP Ritiraj told media: “If the offence is established, we will arrest him. This is a registered POCSO case, and it is our duty to ensure justice for the victim.”
The survivor underwent a medical examination on Wednesday, with police probing two alleged assault incidents; investigators are also verifying her age amid discrepancies in birth records submitted by her family.
The case has ignited political firestorms. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed DGP CV Anand to probe swiftly, while posters targeting Bandi Sanjay and his son appeared at public spots like Secunderabad railway station.
Bageerath has sought interim bail from the Telangana High Court and filed a counter-complaint in Karimnagar alleging a “honey-trap” extortion plot by the girl’s mother using her daughter as bait.
Police dismissed an email from the accused requesting more time, calling it unauthorised and reiterating the summons.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has summoned relatives, including his maternal uncle Dr. CH Vamshikrishna, for inquiry.
The controversy underscores tensions between law enforcement and political influence in Telangana, where the BJP has decried delays in initial action and social media has amplified unverified claims about the survivor.
As teams close in, the outcome could reshape public trust in handling child protection cases amid high-profile scrutiny.
