Telangana women’s, trans JAC demands arrest of Bandi Bageerath in POCSO case

JAC urges Telangana Police to act without political interference in FIR involving alleged sexual assault of a minor under POCSO Act.

Hyderabad: The Women’s & Transgender Organisations Joint Action Committee (WT-JAC), Telangana, has demanded the immediate arrest of Bandi Bageerath, son of Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in connection with FIR No. 684/2026 registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

JAC writest to DGP, CMO, TGSCPCR

In an open letter addressed to the Director General of Police, the Chief Minister’s Office, the Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TGSCPCR), and the Minister for Women & Child Development, the committee alleged that state law enforcement agencies were extending “extraordinary leniency” to the accused because of his political background.

WT-JAC said that the FIR invokes serious non-bailable offences under Sections 74 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 5(1) read with 6 and 11 read with 12 of the POCSO Act. The allegations involve the grooming, coercion, and sexual assault of a 17-year-old minor girl.

On circulation of victim’s photos, videos on social media

The committee also expressed concern over the circulation of the minor victim’s photographs and videos on social media, stating that the content was being shared without consent and had triggered online harassment and secondary victimisation of the child.

“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,” WT-JAC stated in the letter.

JAC raises questions on delay in arrest

Raising questions over the delay in arresting the accused, the committee said that while ordinary citizens booked under POCSO provisions are often subjected to immediate custodial action, Bandi Bageerath had only communicated through email seeking time to surrender. WT-JAC noted that despite a lookout notice reportedly being issued by Telangana Police, no proactive arrest had been carried out.

“The law cannot operate differently for the powerful and the powerless,” the organisation said, adding that delays in the case were weakening public confidence in the criminal justice system.

WT-JAC called for the immediate arrest of Bandi Bageerath without special treatment and demanded that the investigation remain free from political interference, including from his father and party leaders.

The committee also sought trauma-informed support and protection for the minor victim and her family, strict legal action against those circulating the child’s images and videos online, and a public assurance that POCSO cases would be handled uniformly irrespective of political status.

The organisation further urged authorities to prevent victim-shaming narratives against the child and her family and to ensure gender-sensitive and child-sensitive investigation protocols.

“This case is not merely about one accused individual. It concerns the credibility of institutions entrusted with protecting all children from sexual violence,” WT-JAC stated.

The committee urged Telangana Police, the State Government, and TGSCPCR to act “decisively, transparently, and without fear or favour.”