Telangana HC refuses interim relief from arrest to Union minister’s son in Pocso case

A vacation bench of the Telangana High Court, led by Justice T Madhavi Devi, heard the anticipatory bail petition of Bandi Sai Bhageerath, son of a Union minister from the state, in a POCSO case involving alleged sexual harassment of a minor girl. The bench heard arguments till midnight and declined to grant any immediate protection from arrest, reserving its order on the anticipatory bail petition for May 21. Bhageerath's senior advocate S Niranjan Reddy urged for protection from arrest until the petition is decided, claiming the survivor aged 17 (born 2008) and that the complaint did not disclose penetrative sexual assault; he argued the complaint was filed after legal advice and that the police later added the penetrative sexual assault section with mala fide intent; he contended that Bhageerath and the girl were in a relationship and the parents were aware. The state prosecutor Palle Nageshwar Rao opposed anticipatory bail, stating the survivor is 17 years old and that the evidence collected suggests the gravity of the allegations increased after the survivor's statement; he noted the FIR is a preliminary document and that complete facts emerge during investigation. The survivor's counsel Pappu Nageshwar Rao alleged Bhageerath harassed four other girls, claimed the father was influencing the investigation, and referenced a January 1 incident at a farmhouse where the survivor woke up unclothed and was made to consume alcohol; he argued delay in filing is not legally significant and cited two prior FIRs against Bhageerath. After hearing, the court reserved its verdict, declining to grant interim relief.