Hyderabad: Telangana High Court Thursday granted conditional bail to Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s son, Bageerath, who was arrested in connection with a POCSO case registered against him.
The High Court July 6 reserved its orders in the bail petition filed by Bageerath.
The court allowed Bageerath’s plea on furnishing two sureties of Rs One lakh each and other conditions, including directing him to cooperate with the investigation.
Earlier, Public Prosecutor Palle Nageshwara Rao had opposed the granting of bail to the accused and argued that he may influence the witnesses and tamper with evidence if released on bail.
The police are going to file a chargesheet, he further submitted.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that Bageerath had been in judicial custody for more than 40 days and sought for granting bail.
Bageerath was arrested on the night of May 16 in the POCSO case and was subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
The case was registered May 8 under relevant sections of the BNS and the POCSO Act at Petbasheerabad police station, based on a complaint lodged by the mother of a 17-year-old girl.
She alleged that Bageerath had been in a relationship with her daughter and had sexually harassed her. After recording the girl’s statement, more severe charges under the BNS and POCSO Act were subsequently invoked.
Bageerath also filed a counter-complaint, alleging that the girl had introduced herself to him and had invited him to family functions and group gatherings.
In his complaint, he stated that, believing her family to be trustworthy, he accompanied them on visits to certain religious sites as part of a group.
He further alleged that the girl and her parents later pressured him to marry her, and when he declined, they demanded money and threatened to file false complaints against him if he refused to pay. An FIR was registered based on his complaint as well.
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