24 Media Houses Booked in Bandi Bageerath POCSO Case; Charges Escalated to Life Imprisonment
3 min read
The high-profile Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case involving Bandi Sai Bageerath, the son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, has taken a massive turn. The Telangana Police have launched a sweeping legal crackdown, booking 24 mainstream media organizations and multiple social media users for exposing the identity of the 17-year-old survivor.
Simultaneously, investigators have heavily upgraded the criminal charges against Bageerath, invoking stringent provisions that carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The Legal Action Against Media Outlets
The Petbasheerabad police registered cases against 24 prominent media houses following a formal complaint lodged by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Chairperson of the Medchal-Malkajgiri district.
The media outlets stand accused of broadcasting and publishing photographs, videos, and deeply personal details of the minor girl and her family, directly violating strict statutory protections.
- Statutes Invoked: The police have filed the FIR under Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, Section 23 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and Section 72(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). All these provisions explicitly criminalize revealing any identifying details of minor sexual assault survivors.
- Social Media Under the Scanner: Cybercrime and IT units are actively tracing specific URLs and Facebook/Instagram handles that amplified or re-shared the survivor’s personal information. Senior officials warned that individuals reposting or amplifying this sensitive content will face immediate and rigorous prosecution.
Separate FIR Filed Over Alleged Judicial Influence
In a parallel development, the Charminar police registered a separate criminal case based on a complaint by the Registrar of the Telangana High Court.
The complaint addresses viral social media campaigns alleging that Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar attempted to exert political pressure on a member of the judiciary to secure anticipatory bail for his son, as well as trying to influence senior police officials and media platforms. The High Court Registrar stated that these malicious narratives undermine public confidence in the judicial system and defame the sanctity of the courts.
Charges Upgraded: Bageerath Transferred to Cherlapalli Jail
Bandi Sai Bageerath (25) was arrested by the Cyberabad Special Operations Team (SOT) following a coordinated naka-bandi (checkpoint) operation near Tech Park. Following intense interrogation-where police sources confirm he admitted to the offense in the presence of witnesses-a local court remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody, after which he was shifted to Cherlapalli Jail.
As the probe deepens, the police have added severely aggravated charges based on the survivor’s official statement recorded before a magistrate:
- Aggravated Sexual Assault: Investigators invoked Section 64(2)(m) of the BNS, which deals explicitly with the repeated assault of the same individual, alongside Section 5(1) read with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for aggravated penetration. These upgraded charges carry a minimum of 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, extending up to a life sentence.
Political Fallout: Demands for Ministerial Resignation
The case has triggered a massive political firestorm in Telangana. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) has demanded the immediate dismissal of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar from the Union Cabinet.
KTR asserted that an impartial investigation is impossible while the accused’s father remains in control of federal administrative machinery. He also questioned the initial delay in the arrest, pointing out that a lookout notice had to be issued for the Union Minister’s son before his eventual capture.
The investigation continues under the direct supervision of Kukatpally Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ritiraj, with digital and forensic teams verifying additional electronic evidence.
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