Published May 22, 2026 | 6:35 PM ⚊ Updated May 22, 2026 | 6:35 PM
KTR accused the state government of shielding the accused, intimidating the victim’s family, suppressing media coverage.
Synopsis: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Friday, 22 May, alleged that POCSO accused Bandi Bageerath was hidden from police for nine days at a hospital linked to relatives of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. He accused the Telangana government of shielding the accused, intimidating the survivor’s family, and pressuring sections of the media to suppress coverage of the case.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Friday, 22 May, alleged that Bandi Bageerath, the son of Union Minister of State Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who was arrested in a POCSO case for the alleged sexual assault of a minor, had been kept hidden from the state police for nine days in a hospital linked to relatives of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, KTR accused the state government of shielding the accused, intimidating the victim’s family, suppressing media coverage, and attempting to divert public attention through “false narratives and political theatrics”.
“I saw a video this morning while coming here. They are saying that during those nine days, where was that boy hiding? Apparently, he was hidden in some hospital belonging to the Chief Minister’s relatives, something like Medicover or some other hospital. They are saying he was kept hidden there on the 28th floor,” KTR said.
“What the truth is, you in the media should tell us. Since you are the ones doing investigative journalism, you should tell us. How would we know?”
The BRS leader alleged that “the crime of sheltering a POCSO accused for nine days squarely lies with Home Minister and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy”.
He further claimed that the accused had managed to evade arrest only because of alleged political protection from both the Chief Minister and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
KTR alleged that when the survivor and her family approached the police seeking justice, instead of acting immediately, the authorities made them wait at the police station until midnight and later intimidated them and subjected them to a counter-case.
“When a girl child came forward saying injustice had been done to her, the government protected the accused for nine days and harassed the family instead,” he alleged.
“Only after women across Telangana criticised the government and the High Court clearly indicated that bail would not be granted did they finally arrest him.”
He also criticised the explanation offered by the Chief Minister for the initial delay in the probe, that police personnel were occupied with arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit, and termed it “absurd”.
“If the Prime Minister visits, does that mean Revanth Reddy’s associates can roam outside committing crimes? Does the government have no shame in offering such explanations?” he asked.
“We deliberately stayed silent because it involved a sensitive issue concerning a minor girl. We never tried to politicise it. But after the Chief Minister started attacking us, we were forced to speak.”
He further alleged that attempts were made to discredit the victim’s family through “honey trap” allegations and questioned who was responsible for spreading such narratives.
“Who is the idiot who tried to brand the victim’s family as part of a honey trap conspiracy after they came out seeking justice?” KTR asked.
The BRS working president also questioned contradictory statements allegedly made by Bandi Sanjay regarding his son.
Referring to reports that the accused’s family had initially distanced themselves from him, KTR remarked: “First they say they have nothing to do with him, and later they say they themselves handed him over to the police. Which one is true?”
He continued: “Nowhere in the country can a POCSO accused escape for nine days. He escaped only because he is the son of a Union Minister and because the Chief Minister protected him.”
KTR argued that the incident had created fear among women and young girls in Telangana, particularly when influential people are involved.
“After seeing this, girls in the state may hesitate before filing complaints against powerful people,” he said.
The BRS leader also accused sections of the media of helping suppress the issue. He alleged that “honey trap” stories were planted to divert attention from the main allegations and claimed that political pressure was exerted on media organisations.
“Is it not true that Revanth Reddy and Bandi Sanjay personally called media offices and pressured them to stop these stories from appearing?” he asked.
Also Read: RSS distances itself from BJP affairs in Telangana after POCSO case against Bandi Sai Bageerath
KTR also took aim at the Congress government’s handling of agricultural procurement, saying the administration had failed farmers at every level.
“There are no gunny bags available in the state, but guns are freely available,” KTR said in an apparent reference to recent incidents of violence in the state.
He accused the government of misleading the public about procurement progress and demanded a detailed white paper containing crop-wise procurement figures.
“The Chief Minister says 80 percent procurement is complete. Ministers say 50 percent. But on the ground, not even 30 percent has been completed,” he alleged.
KTR claimed he had personally toured districts and witnessed farmers struggling at procurement centres. According to him, farmers were either unable to get their crops weighed or were subjected to excessive deductions after bringing their produce to procurement centres.
“If the government proves that 80 percent procurement has been completed, we are ready for any punishment,” he challenged.
He alleged that the Congress government was deliberately delaying procurement so that farmers would be forced to sell their crops to middlemen and brokers at distress prices.
KTR further claimed that since the Congress came to power, farmers had struggled to obtain urea, Rythu Bandhu support, loan waivers, and proper procurement facilities.
At another review meeting with party leaders from the undivided Nizamabad district, KTR also raised concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and warned that Telangana migrants working in Gulf countries risked losing their voting rights.
He announced that the BRS would send a delegation of senior leaders, MLAs, and MPs to the Election Commission of India to seek safeguards for Gulf-based Telangana voters. “We will ensure that not a single Telangana voter working in Gulf countries loses voting rights because of the SIR exercise,” he said.
KTR instructed party booth-level agents to identify Gulf-based voters and coordinate with election authorities to prevent their names from being deleted from the electoral rolls. He said several NRIs had already contacted party leaders expressing concern over the voter verification process.
Friday’s aggressive press interactions marked one of the sharpest attacks mounted by the BRS leadership against the Congress government in recent months, with KTR simultaneously targeting the ruling party over law and order, women’s safety, farmer distress, and electoral concerns, while attempting to position the opposition party as a defender of vulnerable groups and democratic rights in Telangana.
