Telangana High Court Grants Conditional Bail to Union Minister Bandi Sanjay’s Son in POCSO Case

Hyderabad, July 2026 : The Telangana High Court on Thursday granted conditional bail to Bandi Sai Bageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Delivering its order on Bageerath’s bail petition, the High Court directed him to fully cooperate with the ongoing police investigation. The court also instructed him to execute a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh along with two sureties as part of the bail conditions.

The order came after the High Court had reserved its verdict on Monday following detailed arguments presented by both the prosecution and the defence.

The case dates back to May 8, when the Pet Basheerabad Police Station under the Cyberabad Commissionerate registered an FIR against Bageerath following a complaint filed by the mother of a 17-year-old girl. The complaint alleged that the accused had sexually harassed the minor, with whom he was reportedly in a relationship.

Police arrested Bageerath on the outskirts of Hyderabad on May 16, shortly after the High Court declined to grant him interim protection from arrest. However, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay had maintained that his son voluntarily surrendered before the police rather than being arrested.

During the course of the investigation, the police initially registered the case under Sections 11 and 12 of the POCSO Act, along with Sections 74 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Following the recording of the victim’s statement, investigators invoked the more stringent Section 5(l) read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act, which deals with aggravated penetrative sexual assault. The offence carries severe punishment, including imprisonment that may extend up to 20 years or more, depending on the circumstances established during trial.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) subsequently questioned Bageerath, examining digital evidence and statements collected during the investigation to ascertain the sequence of events.

Earlier, the trial court had granted Bageerath temporary bail for one week to enable him to appear for his examinations held between June 22 and June 24. After completing his examinations, he surrendered before the authorities at Cherlapally Central Prison on June 25, in compliance with the conditions imposed by the court.

Meanwhile, the case has also witnessed a counter-allegation from the accused. Bageerath lodged a complaint in Karimnagar alleging that the girl’s family had attempted to extort Rs 5 crore from him by threatening to implicate him in a false criminal case. Police are also examining the allegations made in the counter-complaint as part of the broader investigation.

With the High Court now granting conditional bail, Bageerath will remain out of custody while the investigation continues. The court’s order makes it mandatory for him to cooperate with investigating authorities whenever required, while the probe into the allegations proceeds in accordance with the law.