Bandi Sai Bhageerath Moves Telangana High Court Seeking Bail in POCSO Case
Bandi Sai Bhageerath has approached the Telangana High Court seeking regular bail in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case registered against him, asserting that he is innocent and alleging that the case is politically motivated. The High Court is scheduled to hear his bail petition on July 1.
The 25-year-old, who is currently in judicial remand, stated in his petition that he has no connection with the allegations levelled against him. He further claimed that the case was filed for political reasons and requested the court to grant him bail.
Bhageerath had earlier been granted one week of interim bail by the POCSO court to enable him to appear for his supplementary examinations at Mahindra University, where he is pursuing his studies. After completing the examinations, he surrendered before authorities at Cherlapally Central Prison on June 25, in compliance with the conditions of the interim bail order. He has remained in judicial custody since then.
Background of the Case
The case originated from a complaint filed on May 8 by the mother of a 17-year-old girl at the Pet Basheerabad Police Station on the outskirts of Hyderabad. In the complaint, she alleged that Bhageerath had sexually assaulted her minor daughter at a farmhouse.
Based on the complaint, police initially registered a case and subsequently expanded the charges during the course of the investigation. On May 12, investigators added more serious sexual assault provisions along with stringent sections of the POCSO Act relating to repeated sexual assault on a minor, according to the case details.
The investigation has since continued under the provisions of the POCSO Act, with Bhageerath remaining in judicial custody following his surrender.
Bail Petition Before the High Court
In his latest plea before the Telangana High Court, Bhageerath argued that the allegations against him are false and that he has cooperated fully with the investigation from the time the case was registered.
According to the petition, he has already responded to all questions put to him by the investigating officers and has extended complete cooperation throughout the inquiry. On that basis, he requested the court to grant him regular bail.
Bhageerath also reiterated his claim that the criminal case was initiated due to political motives and maintained that he had no involvement in the alleged offences.
Counter Allegations by the Accused
Separately, Bhageerath has denied all allegations made against him. He has alleged that the complainant's family pressured him to marry the minor girl and that, after he refused, they threatened to file false criminal cases against him.
He further alleged that the family demanded Rs 5 crore from him, describing it as an attempt at extortion. Following these developments, Bhageerath lodged a counter-complaint raising these allegations.
Subsequently, several developments took place in the case before Bhageerath surrendered before the police and was remanded to judicial custody.
Hearing Scheduled
The Telangana High Court is expected to hear Bhageerath's regular bail petition on July 1. The petition seeks his release on bail while the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings continue.
The allegations made by the complainant form the basis of the police case, while the assertions made by Bhageerath regarding political motivation, innocence and alleged extortion are part of his defence as presented in his bail petition. The court will consider the submissions before deciding on the request for bail.