POCSO case: Son of Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar gets bail on Rs 1-lakh bond

2 min readHyderabadJul 9, 2026 07:55 PM IST

The court granted bail in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case on a bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties.

The Telangana High Court on Thursday granted bail to Bandi Bhagirath, son of Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in a case of alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl.

The court granted bail in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case on a bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties. It imposed several conditions, directing Bhagirath not to contact or influence witnesses or interfere with the investigation.

The case against Bhagirath was filed on May 8, and he was arrested on May 16. He had applied for bail several times, and on June 20, the High Court granted interim bail so that he could appear for his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) examinations, and directed him to return to prison on June 25.

In her police complaint, the mother of the 17-year-old girl alleged that Bhagirath initiated a relationship with her minor daughter and sexually assaulted her at parties in farmhouses. Police recorded the girl’s statement and filed the FIR under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act.

The complaint against Bagheerath was filed after he had filed a complaint in the first week of May, accusing a Hyderabad-based family of blackmail, harassment, and extortion. Bageerath claimed in his complaint that he was introduced to the girl by friends, and that on her invitation, he had attended family functions and parties.

He alleged that after a few months, the parents called him and began pressuring and intimidating him to marry their daughter. Upon his refusal, he alleged, they threatened to file false criminal complaints against him.

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance.

Expertise and Experience

Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues:

High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules.

Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes.

Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak.

Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More

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