Published May 15, 2026 | 4:54 PM ⚊ Updated May 15, 2026 | 4:54 PM
Bageerath with his father, MoS Bandi Sanjay.
Synopsis: While demanding the immediate arrest of Bandi Bageerath, accused of sexually exploiting a minor, the Women’s & Transgender Organisations Joint Action Committee in Telangana warned in an open letter that the delay in apprehending the accused was eroding public confidence in the State’s criminal justice system.
The Women & Transgender Organisations Joint Action Committee (WT-JAC), Telangana, on Friday, 15 May, demanded the immediate arrest of Bandi Sai Bageerath, wanted for sexually harassing a minor girl.
Bageerath, son of a Union Minister, has been on the lam ever since a case was registered against him under various sections of the POCSO Act. Relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita have also been invoked against him.
In an open letter to the Director General of Police, the Chief Minister’s Office, the Minister of Women & Child Development, and the Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TSCPCR), the committee expressed its concern about the state law enforcement agencies extending “extraordinary leniency” to the accused owing to his father’s political background.
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The WT-JAC said that the FIR mentioned serious non-bailable offences, including Sections 74 and 75 of BNS, and Sections 5(1) r/w 6 and 11 r/w 12 of the POCSO Act—alleging the grooming, coercion, and sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl.
“The committee is deeply concerned about the manner in which the survivor’s photographs and videos have been circulated non-consensually on social media, leading to an online campaign of hatred and secondary victimisation.
WT-JAC stressed that “Consent is legally immaterial under the POCSO Act due to the victim’s minor status. Any narrative of a ‘honey trap’ is legally irrelevant in this case,” in the letter.
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The JAC further alleged that while an ordinary citizen accused under the POCSO Act would face immediate prosecution, Bageerath has merely communicated via email, seeking time to “surrender,” and no proactive arrest has been made despite a lookout notice issued by the Telangana Police.
“The law cannot operate differently for the powerful and the powerless,” WT-JAC said, warning of the delay eroding public confidence in Telangana’s criminal justice system.
Responding to a notice asking Bageerath to present himself before the investigating officer, he sought two days, claiming the summons was issued at “extremely short notice” and that a “personal inconvenience” prevented him from appearing before the police.
He also informed the Station House Officer of Pet-Basheerabad Police Station of his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
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The committee also offered its services for drafting gender- and child-sensitive protocols.
“This case is not merely about one accused individual. It concerns the credibility of institutions entrusted with protecting all children from sexual violence,” the committee stated.
Bageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, has been accused of engaging a sustained pattern of “grooming, emotional manipulation and sexual exploitation” of a minor since June 2025.
Sanjay Kumar approached the Telangana High Court seeking interim bail for Bageerath on 12 May. The petition is still before the court.
