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The Telangana police has summoned Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar's son, Bandi Bhageerath, to appear before the investigation officer on Wednesday, May 13, at the Pet Basheerabad Police Station in connection with the rape and sexual harassment case registered against him. Bhageerath has been charged under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The Pet Basheerabad police served the summons notice to Dr CH Vamshikrishna, Bhageerath’s maternal uncle, who has also been directed to appear before the Investigating officer alongside Bhageerath. The notice also stated that while the First Information Report was initially filed under Sections 74 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 11 read with Section 12 of the POCSO Act, it has been altered accordingly.
More sections under the POCSO Act incluging Section 5(1) (applies when a penetrative sexual assault is committed by a person in a position of trust) read with Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault), have been added to the FIR.
In her complaint, the survivor’s mother alleged that a man named Sangappa set up a meeting with Union Minister Bandi Sanjay on April 23, where they faced intimidation. The mother alleged that during the meeting, “in the disguise of counseling my daughter and his son as a way forward, we were subjected to indirect pressure to compromise… The statements made during the meeting caused serious fear, intimidation, and apprehension,” the complaint read.
Hours before the FIR against Bhageerath was registered at Pet Basheerabad police station, the Karimnagar II Town police on May 8 registered a counter FIR against the girl’s family on charges of blackmail and extortion.
