Published May 09, 2026 | 9:53 PM ⚊ Updated May 09, 2026 | 9:53 PM
Bageerath (right) with his father, Minister Bandi Sanjay. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Despite the nation raising the ‘Beti Bachchao’ slogan, not much has changed on the ground in Telangana. A 17-year-old girl accuses the son of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar of sexually harassing her multiple times. A counter-complaint has been filed, saying the girl’s complaint is an offshoot of a honey trap. Interestingly, those who are expected to speak up — Kumar’s party, the government, the police, and the media — are keeping mum, and the silence is deafening.
Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s name is missing from the official invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s programme in Hyderabad, slated for Sunday, 10 May.
The omission is being viewed as the BJP central leadership’s unhappiness over the grave allegations against Kumar’s son, Bandi Sai Bhageerath.
Bhageerath has been accused of sexually harassing a 17-year-old girl multiple times.
The invitation, from the Ministry of Petroleum for Modi to dedicate the Malkapur Terminal Project to the nation, includes the names of several other dignitaries, except Kumar.
The Ministry said that the Prime Minister will dedicate the project in the presence of Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Union Minister of Coal G Kishan Reddy.
Besides Kumar, Kishan Reddy is the other Union Minister from Telangana.
Modi is also scheduled to address the BJP’s public meeting later. It is not known whether Kumar will be welcomed to the event.
In a belated response on Saturday, 9 May, Kumar termed the allegations a “political hit job” aimed at maligning him ahead of the Prime Minister’s programme.
“Some forces are unable to digest the rise of a BC leader, and dragging my children into political battles reflects their desperation,” he tweeted past 8 pm on Saturday.
Even as the BJP leadership appeared to acknowledge the issue involving Bhageerath, the complete silence from the Telangana police and ruling Congress leaders in the state raised more questions than answers.
However, the state unit of the Congress demanded Kumar’s resignation after it faced trolling over its silence.
Also Read: POCSO case against MoS Home and BJP leader Bandi Sanjay’s son
Late on the night of 8 May, Telangana police registered an FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO ) Act against Kumar’s son based on a complaint filed by the minor girl, who alleged sexual assault.
The girl complained that Bageerath made her consume alcohol and then sexually assaulted her.
A senior police officer confirmed the FIR under Section 74 (Assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 75 (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Sections 11 (Sexual harassment) and 12 (Punishment for sexual harassment) of the POSCO Act have also been invoked against Bhageerath.
Beyond this off-the-record confirmation, there has been no further communication from the police throughout the day.
Due to the POSCO Act’s clear intent, the police are expected to view any related complaint seriously and initiate prompt action. However, in this instance, the police are refusing to share the complaint’s details. Neither has issued an official statement.
Multiple calls from media persons to the police officers concerned went unanswered.
South First sent a text message to a top police officer seeking to know why the FIR is being kept under wraps, particularly since it involves a highly placed politician.
“I will check,” the officer’s response was cryptic.
Also Read: POCSO cases in Tamil Nadu rise 125 times in 4 years
Sources, however, revealed that the complaint mentioned that Bageerath took the girl to several parties hosted at farmhouses. The parties included one on the night of 31 December 2025.
The complaint said that Bageerath, aged around 25, had maintained a close relationship with the girl. He allegedly promised to marry her, but later backed out.
After falling out of the relationship, Bhageerath’s friends lodged a complaint against the girl, accusing her of intimidation and harassment. It has been alleged that the complaint filed in the Nirmal district in April was an apparent bid to browbeat the survivor.
However, the district superintendent of police reportedly refused to take cognisance of the complaint since it was against a minor girl and lacked evidence.
According to senior Bharatiya Rastra Samithi (BRS) leader and former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar, the girl’s mother, along with the survivor, went to Pet Basheerabad police station on the outskirts of Hyderabad around 6 pm on Friday, 8 May.
Praveen Kumar told a press conference on Saturday that the police were initially reluctant to accept the complaint. They reportedly informed Minister Kumar about the development.
Also Read: TVK functionary sexually assaults 10-year-old girl in Chennai
Bhageerath immediately went to the Two Town police station in Karimnagar, his native place, and lodged a counter-complaint against the girl, and an FIR was registered.
By lodging the complaint, Bageerath admitted to having had a relationship with the girl. He confessed to a “friendly relationship” with the girl and that both of them, along with other friends, had even visited multiple religious places. He also attended family functions at the girl’s home.
Bageerath claimed that after some time, the girl’s parents pressured him to marry her. When refused, he said, they threatened to file a criminal complaint. Reportedly out of fear, he gave them ₹50,000 once, but the parents demanded ₹5 crore, he said.
Praveen Kumar alleged that the girl was sexually assaulted three times at different locations. He also refuted the allegation that the family was trying to extort money.
“The girl belongs to a rich family. The mother went to the police station in a Toyota Fortuner, and her father owns a (Mercedes) Benz car,” he claimed.
Also Read: CM Revanth Reddy calls for fight against child abuse
The BRS leader further claimed that the girl attempted suicide twice after Bageerath had backed out of his assurance to marry her. Her mother approached the police after all efforts failed.
The mother was reportedly made to wait eight hours at the police station. The complaint was recorded only after she threatened to protest at the Prime Minister’s public meeting on Sunday.
Praveen Kumar also alleged that the FIR was registered under weaker sections of BNS and POSCO, which would entitle the accused to station bail.
Surprisingly, none from the Congress – ministers or party leaders — reacted to the issue. No tweets, statements or press conference, until later on Saturday.
“Under what rule did the Telangana police register a case of honey-trap and extortion against a minor girl,” tweeted BRS working president KT Rama Rao.
“Is Telangana Congress operating as a franchisee of Bharatiya Janata Party,” he asked.
More shocking is the near-total silence of a large section of the mainstream media, including Telugu television news channels.
Responding to allegations by followers of Minister Kumar that his son was “honey trapped”, advocate Vijay Gopal said: “Honey rap, ginger trap or lemon trap, the moment you call of any of these, you are admitting that you slept with a minor. Irrespective of the background, it’s a crime.”
