TRS chief K Kavitha urged PM Modi to remove Union Minister Bandi Sanjay over the POCSO case involving his son, citing a conflict of interest. Police issued a lookout circular for the son, while Bandi Sanjay filed a suit to remove related media content.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 16 (ANI): Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) chief K Kavitha on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the removal of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar from his ministerial position to ensure a "free and fair investigation" in the alleged POCSO case involving his son, Bandi Bhagirath.
The legal battle centres on an FIR registered at Petbasheerabad Police Station, which includes charges under Sections 74 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for outraging modesty and sexual harassment, as well as Sections 11 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Kavitha demands minister's removal for fair probe
In her letter, Kavitha raised sharp concerns over "institutional propriety and legal ethics" in connection with the case. Pointing out that Bandi Sanjay Kumar holds a highly sensitive portfolio in the Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees law enforcement mechanisms, she asserted that his continued presence in office "creates an unavoidable conflict of interest."
"For a trial of this nature to be truly free and fair, there must be no perception of institutional asymmetry or potential administrative influence over police procedures, evidence gathering, or witness protection," she wrote in the letter.
The TRS chief further emphasised that the state's paramount objective in a sensitive case involving a minor must be absolute independence and transparency. She argued that public faith in the justice system will shake if a "shadow of political influence" is allowed to hang over the ongoing judicial proceedings. She thus demanded that Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar be stripped of his cabinet position until the investigation and trial are fully concluded and to ensure that the pursuit of justice for minors remains entirely above political considerations.
"Taking this step would reinforce public confidence that institutional integrity and the pursuit of justice for minors remain paramount, above all political considerations," she stated.
Later, while speaking with ANI, the TRS chief expressed disappointment over the allegedly stagnant investigation into the case, alleging that it is protecting the Union Ministers' son. Stating that with Bandi Sanajy holding the key position of Union Minister, the women of the state cannot expect a fair probe, she sought his immediate removal from the post.
"MoS Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay is from Telangana. His son is facing very grave allegations; a minor girl and her family have complained to the Police of being molested. It is unfortunate that the Telangana Govt has, till date, not moved an inch. Neither has the investigation begun, nor has Bandi Sanjay's son come to give any kind of statement. Instead, the Govt has given them a very hand where they have also approached the Court and tried to get some relief. The court has seen through the lies and they have refused to give any kind of relief. But even today, Bandi Sanjay's son has not appeared before the Police. So, I am demanding the PM to look at the situation in Telangana and remove Bandi Sanjay from his MoS Home position because as long as a father is in such a powerful position, women of Telangana do not believe that a very transparent investigation will happen or a very unbiased investigation will happen," she said.
Police issue lookout circular for minister's son
Meanwhile, Cyberabad Police on Saturday formed five special teams and issued a lookout circular for Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar's son Bandi Sai Bhagirath in the POCSO case, a police official said.
Officials said police teams are tracing him using Call Detail Records (CDR), Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and other technical inputs.
"We have formed five special teams to catch Bandi Bhagirath. We have also opened an LOC and are tracing him using CDR, IP addresses, and other technologies," a Cyberabad Police official said.
Bandi Sanjay files suit against 'defamatory' content
Meanwhile, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar has approached the City Civil Court in Hyderabad seeking the removal of content circulating on satellite television channels, YouTube, and social media platforms that allegedly link him to a case involving his son Bandi Bhagirath.
In his petition, the Union Minister has requested the court to direct digital platforms and media houses to take down such content and prevent further dissemination of allegedly defamatory material.
Advocate Karunasagar, counsel for Bandi Sanjay Kumar, speaking to ANI on Friday, said, "In this defamation suit, Bandi Sanjay Kumar has filed two interlocutory applications. The first application seeks a directive to all digital media channels--specifically satellite channels--as well as social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, instructing them neither to broadcast nor to publish any defamatory content against Bandi Sanjay Kumar regarding the case involving his son."
He further added, "The second interlocutory application requests the immediate removal of all defamatory content that has been broadcast on social media channels and other platforms over the past week."
Details of the Complaint
This comes after the complaint, filed by the mother of the alleged victim, claims Bageerath drew her daughter into a relationship in June 2025 under false promises of marriage and subjected her to inappropriate physical acts and pressure to consume alcohol between October 2025 and January 2026. According to the FIR, the relationship's termination on January 7, 2026, led to the girl attempting self-harm on two occasions later that month. (ANI)
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