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Bandi Sai Bhageerath, the son of Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay, was arrested on Sunday, May 16. He was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for alleged sexual harassment and sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl.
In a statement, the minister who also served as the president of the Telangana wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that his son Bhageerath “went before the Telangana Police through our advocates for investigation.”
“I have said this before too: whether it is my own son or a common citizen, everyone is equal before the law. My son has consistently maintained that he has committed no mistake. After consulting legal experts and placing before them the evidence available with us, we were advised that the matter would be addressed appropriately through the legal process,” the minister added.
The minister added that he went against legal counsel and decided to cooperate with the investigation. “I have complete faith in the justice system,” he added.
Bandi Bhageerath’s surrender comes eight days after the Petbasheerabad police station registered an FIR against him on May 8 and three days after he was summoned by the police to appear for questioning on May 13. He had gone absconding after the probe gathered mometi
Notably, Bhageerath had applied for anticipatory bail on Friday, May 15. Justice T Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court refused to grant any interim order.