Court sends Bandi Bhageerath to police custody

A city court on Tuesday sent Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s son, Bandi Bhageerath, to police custody for three days in a POCSO case.

The trial court in Malkajgiri pronounced orders on the prosecution's petition.

Though the police sought custody for a week, the court granted custody for three days.

Pet Basheerabad police will take custody of Bhageerath, who is currently lodged in Cherlapalli Jail.

Bhageerath’s counsel, Karunasagar, opposed the petition for police custody.

During arguments on the petition, he also requested the court that, if the petition were allowed, the police be directed to conduct the interrogation between 10 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., and that a medical examination be conducted before and after the interrogation.

The counsel also sought directions to the police not to use any coercive methods during the course of interrogation.

A case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered against Bhageerath at Pet Basheerabad Police Station on May 8, following allegations that he sexually assaulted a minor girl.

The case was booked under Section 11 read with Section 12 of the POCSO Act and Sections 74 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

After the investigating officer spoke to the victim, the police invoked harsher provisions of the POCSO Act.

Section 5(1), read with Section 6, was added to the FIR.

Bhageerath was served a notice by the police directing him to appear before the investigating officer on May 13.

He did not appear but sent a letter to the investigating officer seeking two days’ time to appear.

After the High Court refused to grant him interim protection, he was arrested by the police on the night of May 16.

However, Bandi Sanjay claimed that his son had surrendered before the police.

He said two lawyers accompanied Bhageerath when he surrendered before the police.

Police stated that he admitted to having committed the offence of sexually assaulting a minor girl, after which he was arrested.

Bhageerath was produced before a magistrate the same night and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.