New Delhi: The Telangana high court on Friday (May 15) denied to grant interim protection from arrest to Bandi Sai Bhageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in connection with a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.Bhageerath is accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl between October and December 2025. As per reports, the two met through mutual friends in June last year. The girl’s mother lodged a complaint at the Petbasheerabad police station on May 8, saying that Bhageerath had subjected her daughter to repeated sexual abuse and emotional blackmail. The complaint also alleged that Bhageerath isolated the survivor and controlled her career decisions.Her mother explained that a man named Sangappa, said to be a former journalist turned Bharatiya Janata Party leader, approached the family and tried to arrange a meeting with union minister Bandi Sanjay, during which they were intimidated through political influence.Initially booked under charges of assault or using criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, including provisions of the POCSO Act, Bhageerath was later charged with aggravated sexual assault under the POCSO Act after the survivor’s statement was recorded.Bhageerath has also filed an extortion case against the girl’s family, claiming that her parents pressured him into marrying her and later threatened to file a false criminal case alleging harassment. “They have also demanded substantial sums of money from me and in fear I have given his father a sum of Rs 50,000 and requested him to leave me alone. Post that, the parents have been continuously subjecting me to mental harassment and coercion by stating that the woman (girl’s mother) would commit suicide if I didn’t pay them rupees five crore,” he said.Also read: POCSO Case Against Union Minister Bandi Sanjay’s Son Triggers Political Storm in TelanganaSenior advocate S. Niranjan Reddy, appearing as Bhageerath’s counsel, argued that court should grant protection from arrest until the anticipatory bail petition was finalised. He said his client was willing to fully cooperate with the police investigation and that stringent conditions may be imposed during the interim period.During the hearing which went on till 11:45 PM, Reddy claimed the “conduct” of the 17-year-old survivor is relevant to the case. “It would matter a great deal to see conduct of either parties,” he said, adding that the “conduct of the victim is a factor.” He further argued that the complaint against Bhageerath was false and there was reason to doubt the survivor’s minor status. Reddy presented a 2021 chargesheet implicating the survivor in an underage driving case, wherein her age was mentioned as 15.He also contended that a close reading of the original complaint filed by the survivor’s parents did not mention allegations constituting penetrative assault under the POCSO Act. Highlighting the delay between the alleged incidents and the First Information Report (FIR), he argued that Bhageerath and the survivor were in a relationship and her parents were aware of their involvement.Senior advocate P. Nageshwar Rao, representing the survivor, alleged that Bhageerath had assaulted four other girls and his father’s influence was being weaponised to divert the course of the investigation. He further argued that the delay in filing the complaint was not uncommon, claiming that the local police acted only after a counter-case was filed in Karimnagar and the chief minister personally monitored the developments.The survivor’s counsel submitted that the girl was a minor, and thus, the accused cannot be granted anticipatory bail in a POCSO case. He also emphasised that the petitioner came from an influential background that could potentially impact the case.A vacation bench of the high court, headed by Justice T. Madhavi Devi, which heard the arguments, refused to give immediate protection from arrest. “I have gone through the statement of the victim, though not in detail but cursorily, and at this stage, I’m not inclined to grant any interim order, ” Justice T. Madhavi Devi said.The court also addressed an ongoing social media “smear campaign,” with various influencers spreading photographs and videos of the survivor and her family members and suggesting that the judge had been “influenced.” “I’m not shying away from hearing the matter. I will pass orders. But this is not done,” the judge said.Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar led a massive Hindu Ekta Yatra in his parliamentary constituency of Karimnagar on Tuesday (May 12), comparing himself with Hanuman from the epic Ramayana and promising to avenge his family’s honour. “I will set fire to the lobbying, corrupt, family-led and illegal regime in Telangana after a statewide tour,” the minister said. “No one who has conspired to drag my family into the streets will be spared.”Also read: ‘You Will Perish’: Bandi Sanjay Kumar Targets Political Rivals as Son Faces Fresh POCSO Charges“You have upset my supporters. You have put my party in a tight spot. You will perish in the fire you yourselves lit, like Hanuman did to Lanka,” he added.Justice T. Madhavi Devi has reserved her judgement on the anticipatory bail application till May 21, when the court is expected to pass its final order on whether Bhageerath will be granted protection from arrest.