Bandi Bhageerath POCSO case: Mother of minor alleges intimidation, emotional manipulation

The mother of a 17-year-old girl at the centre of a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case against Bandi Sai Bhageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, issued a detailed public statement on Thursday (May 14, 2026). She alleged that he emotionally manipulated her daughter, intimidated the family, delayed the registration of their complaint and attempted to dissuade them from pursuing legal action.

The case was registered at Petbasheerabad police station on May 8 following a complaint lodged by the victim’s mother.

“We are an ordinary middle-class family. We are not politically powerful people. We are not influential people,” the woman said, adding that the statement was being issued not for publicity or revenge but because “silence has become more painful than speaking”.

The mother alleged that after the relationship ended in January 2026, the girl’s emotional condition deteriorated significantly and that the family later faced indirect pressure and persuasion not to proceed legally.

The statement also alleged that on April 23 the family met Mr. Bandi Sanjay Kumar at his residence in the hope of reassurance and protection. However, the mother claimed the family returned with fear after certain alleged remarks regarding political influence and consequences for those who “trouble” the family.

The family further alleged that when they approached Petbasheerabad police station on May 8 to register the POCSO complaint, they were made to wait for more than five hours despite disclosing serious allegations involving a minor. The statement claimed the family had to repeatedly insist on the Zero FIR procedure before the acknowledgement was issued.

“We later discovered that FIR had already been registered at Karimnagar I Town Police Station against our family alleging extortion and blackmail. The sequence and timing of these events left us devastated and frightened. Instead of feeling protected as complainants under child protection law, we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by fear, counter-allegations, and social humiliation,” the complainant said.

The mother also expressed concern over alleged circulation of details capable of revealing the identity of the minor girl and appealed to the media, social media users and the public not to disclose any information that could identify the child.

The statement noted that graver and non-bailable sections under the POCSO Act were added later after more detailed statements were recorded and after constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The family said this showed the matter could not merely be dismissed as a “private issue” or “consensual fallout”.

The mother also rejected attempts to raise questions over age-related documents, stating that correction procedures regarding records had already been initiated before the present dispute and that procedural discrepancies could not negate statutory protections available to a minor under the POCSO Act.

Appealing for protection from intimidation and coercion, the mother urged the judiciary, investigating agencies, child rights bodies and women’s commissions to ensure an independent investigation and preservation of evidence.

She requested social media users and public to refrain from disclosing the identify of the victim and circulating any private material related to the case.