Published May 20, 2026 | 12:27 PM ⚊ Updated May 20, 2026 | 12:27 PM
Telangana MLA and BJP leader Paidi Rakesh Reddy.
Synopsis: Telangana MLA and BJP leader Paidi Rakesh Reddy said Union MoS Bandi Sanjay Kumar had no connection with the POCSO case involving his son, Bandi Sai Bageerath. He described it as a “family matter” that was being unnecessarily sensationalised.
Telangana MLA and BJP leader Paidi Rakesh Reddy said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar had no connection with the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case involving his son, Bandi Sai Bageerath. He described it as a “family matter” that was being unnecessarily sensationalised.
Speaking during a television debate, Reddy said the issue was essentially a dispute between two families and cautioned against using terms that could damage the life of the girl involved.
Referring to videos circulating in connection with the case, Reddy claimed they showed a close and affectionate relationship between the families. He said that the video came as something like the mother-in-law was seen feeding a son-in-law morsels of food affectionately and described the two as being “like children raised together” and “like relatives living under the same roof”.
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Reddy further argued that the interactions seen in the videos did not suggest coercion and claimed the two appeared to have shared a close friendship since childhood.
When questioned about allegations that the girl had been forcibly taken to a farmhouse, Reddy asked who had driven the car and remarked that “if it was really by force, how would she drive the car?” He contrasted the allegations with depictions of abduction shown in films.
Reddy further said the matter had no direct connection with the people of Telangana and maintained that if any coercion had truly occurred, the circumstances would have appeared different from what was being discussed publicly.
Responding to criticism that the issue had become political after the chief minister spoke about it at a public function, Reddy said leaders across parties had commented on it and noted that the Chief Minister had only stated that “the law will take its own course.” He added that his side was also taking the same stand.
Also Read: Telangana police arrest Bageerath, MoS Bandi Sanjay says son surrendered
Bageerath, accused of sexually assaulting a minor, was arrested on 16 May. The arrest came a day after the Vacation Bench of the Telangana High Court declined to grant his request for interim relief. The police recorded his arrest after a magistrate had taken the survivor’s statement.
It has been alleged that Bageerath was in a relationship with a 17-year-old girl, whom he had met through common friends, and sexually assaulted her. A case was filed after the girl’s mother complained to the Pet-Basheerabad police on 8 May.
The police, on 12 May, had issued a notice to Bageerath, asking him to appear before the investigators for questioning at 2 pm on 13 May. The accused, however, sought two days to present himself before the police.
He said the summons was issued at “extremely short notice” and that a “personal inconvenience” prevented him from appearing.
Bageerath faces charges under Section 5(l) read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act, invoking provisions related to aggravated penetrative sexual assault, besides relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
(With inputs from Sumit Jha.)
