Bageerath to face Malkajgiri court hearing in POCSO case
SIT questions Bageerath at Pet Basheerabad police station
Hyderabad — The questioning of Bandi Bageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, entered a third day on Friday as Cyberabad police pursued their probe into a POCSO case that has gripped public attention. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) continued to question him at Pet Basheerabad Police Station, and officials said he will be produced before a trial court at Malkajgiri later in the day.
Bageerath’s extended questioning follows his arrest on May 16 and two days in police custody that ended on Friday. Investigators, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Ritiraj, are reconstructing events and examining digital evidence, including data retrieved from a seized mobile phone. As part of the inquiry, the police took him to a farmhouse in Moinabad for a scene reconstruction meant to verify details in witness statements and the victim’s account.
The case itself was registered on May 8 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after allegations that a minor girl was sexually assaulted. Alongside POCSO sections, the case includes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. After initial statements and the victim interview, police invoked additional POCSO provisions and issued a notice asking Bageerath to appear on May 13. He did not come that day; instead he sent a letter requesting two extra days. When the Telangana High Court refused interim protection, police moved to arrest him.
There has been a clash of narratives. While the minister said his son surrendered to authorities, Cyberabad police maintain that investigators recorded an admission of the offence, after which Bageerath was arrested. He was produced before a magistrate the night of his arrest and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. He had been lodged at Cherlapally Central Prison and was brought out for questioning following a medical examination at Osmania General Hospital.
For the investigating team, the work is painstaking: piecing together timelines, comparing physical reconstructions with digital footprints, and corroborating the victim’s testimony with statements from others linked to the case. Those procedural steps are critical in cases involving minors, where the law demands both sensitivity and rigor. The SIT is expected to seek an extension of custody depending on what emerges from the three-day interrogation.
Beyond the technicalities of evidence-gathering, the human dimensions of the case are stark. A young girl and her family are coping with trauma and the public exposure that comes with high-profile proceedings. City residents are watching closely: some express outrage and demand swift justice; others worry about due process and the broader implications when powerful families are involved. For the police, managing evidence, ensuring the victim’s protection, and maintaining fairness under intense scrutiny is a delicate balancing act.
Legal observers say the coming days will be decisive. If investigators find corroborative digital or physical evidence that supports the victim’s account, the prosecution will strengthen; if gaps appear, the defence will press them. Meanwhile, procedural safeguards under POCSO require in-camera hearings and protections for the minor, measures designed to shield victims from further trauma.
As Bageerath is taken to court later today, the case will move into the next formal legal phase — where judicial custody, remand extensions, or bail applications will be decided. For many, the headline-grabbing names matter less than the underlying questions: Has justice been served? Are the victim’s rights being protected? Will the system work impartially, regardless of political connections?
Those are the concerns that linger long after initial arrests and news cycles fade — and that the people directly affected, plus an attentive public, will be watching closely in the weeks ahead.