Rights groups raise concerns over delay in arrest in Telangana POCSO case

By A Representative 

Women’s and transgender rights organisations in Telangana have demanded the immediate arrest of Bandi Bhagirath, son of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in connection with a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case, alleging that delays in police action are creating a perception of preferential treatment due to political influence.

In a press release, the Women’s & Transgender Organisations Joint Action Committee (WT-JAC) said it had sent an open letter to the Director General of Police, the Chief Minister’s Office, the Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TSCPCR), and the state Women and Child Development Minister, demanding immediate custodial action in FIR No. 684/2026 registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act.

According to the letter, the FIR invokes Sections 74 and 75 of the BNS along with Sections 5(1) read with 6 and Sections 11 read with 12 of the POCSO Act, relating to allegations of grooming, coercion and sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl. The committee described the offences as “grave, cognizable, and non-bailable in nature” and alleged that the victim had also been subjected to online harassment through the circulation of photographs and videos on social media. 

WT-JAC stated that the accused had allegedly communicated with the police through email seeking time to surrender despite a lookout notice being issued, and argued that an ordinary citizen facing similar charges would have been immediately taken into custody. The committee said the delay in arrest risked eroding public confidence in the neutrality of the criminal justice system. 

The letter further claimed that this was not the first publicly reported allegation of aggressive or abusive conduct involving the accused, referring to earlier reports concerning alleged physical assault and verbal abuse of a fellow student at a university. The organisations argued that the present allegations pointed to a broader pattern of intimidation, coercion and disregard for consent. 

WT-JAC also stressed that under the POCSO Act, the question of consent is legally immaterial when the victim is a minor. The committee criticised narratives describing the case as a “honey trap”, calling them legally irrelevant and potentially harmful to the survivor. It further alleged that the circulation of the minor’s images and videos without consent constituted secondary victimisation and digital sexual exploitation. 

While acknowledging the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), the organisations cautioned that such mechanisms should not lead to delays or compromise evidence collection. They demanded an immediate arrest without “special provisions or preferential treatment”, an investigation free from political interference, protection and counselling support for the survivor and her family, and strict action against those sharing the minor’s images online. 

The committee also urged authorities to publicly reaffirm that offences under the POCSO Act would be handled uniformly irrespective of political status, caste, class or influence, and called for gender-sensitive and child-sensitive investigation protocols. “This case is not merely about one accused individual. It concerns the credibility of institutions entrusted with protecting children from sexual violence and coercion,” the letter stated.