Women organisations staged a protest at Pet Basheerabad Police Station here on Wednesday, demanding the arrest of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay’s son Bandi Bhageerath in a POCSO case registered against him. Carrying placards and banners and raising slogans, the protestors gathered in front of the police station.
They demanded the immediate arrest of Bhageerath, who allegedly assaulted a minor girl. Police personnel tried to disperse the protestors, leading to an argument between the two sides. The protestors squatted on the roads while continuing their slogans.
The police personnel physically lifted and whisked them away. The protestors questioned the delay in arresting Bhagirath, who was booked on May 8 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. They found fault with the police for not even allowing them to peacefully stage the protest.
Meanwhile, Telangana Rakshana Samithi (TRS) leader K. Kavitha has demanded that Telangana Police issue a lookout notice for Bhageerath. She said that since the Union Home Minister Bandi Sanjay's son, who is facing extremely serious allegations, may flee the country, the police should issue lookout notices against him.
Talking to media persons, she demanded a transparent investigation into the case to instil confidence among women in society. Meanwhile, the senior leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and former MLA Chada Venkata Reddy demanded a thorough investigation into the case and stringent punishment for the guilty.
A case under the POCSO Act was registered against Bhageerath for alleged sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl. The incident has triggered a huge political row with the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) accusing the Congress government of shielding the accused.
BRS leaders and workers have been staging protests for the last four days, demanding the immediate arrest of Bhageerath. Police on Tuesday served a notice on Bhageerath at his relative’s house in Karimnagar, directing him to appear at Pet Basheerabad Police Station for questioning on Wednesday.
Bhageerath, 25, has approached the Telangana High Court, seeking interim bail. A vacation bench is scheduled to hear the petition on Thursday.