Hyderabad, May 16 (IANS) The Telangana High Court has refused to grant interim protection from arrest to Bandi Bhageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The single-judge vacation bench heard arguments on the petition till around midnight and refused to grant interim protection to the petitioner.

Justice T. Madhavi Devi made it clear that she was not inclined to grant any interim order after reviewing the victim’s statement.

The judge, who heard arguments on Bhageerath’s interim bail plea for about five-and-a-half hours, said she may pass orders next week.

As the accused’s counsel had expressed doubt over the victim being a minor, her counsel submitted her Class 10 memorandum to the court.

A case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act was registered against Bhageerath on May 8 at Pet Basheerabad Police Station for alleged sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl.

On a complaint by the victim that Bhageerath sexually assaulted her at a farmhouse in Moinabad, the police registered a case under Section 11 read with 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Sections 74 and 75 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The accused also lodged a counter-complaint in Karimnagar, alleging that the girl’s family attempted to extort Rs 5 crore by threatening to implicate him in a false case.

After Deputy Commissioner of Police Ritiraj spoke to the victim on Tuesday to gather more details in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences case, police invoked harsher provisions of the Act.

Section 5(1), read with Section 6, was added to the First Information Report.

The section deals with aggravated penetrative sexual assault and carries a punishment that may extend up to 20 years’ imprisonment or more.

Bhageerath was served a notice by the police directing him to appear before the investigating officer on May 13.

He did not appear but sent a letter to the investigating officer seeking two days’ time to appear.

Meanwhile, the City Civil Court on Friday issued directions for removing defamatory content against Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar from various media and digital platforms in connection with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences case registered against his son Bandi Bhageerath.

The court passed the direction on the petition filed by Bandi Sanjay, seeking protection of his constitutional rights to reputation and dignity against what he called a sustained and malicious campaign of false, defamatory, and misleading publications.

The court directed that the videos targeting the Minister of State should be deleted.

It also ordered the removal of newspaper clippings, digital content, and wall posters.

The judge also directed all digital and satellite media channels, social media platforms, and intermediaries not to broadcast any material that is defamatory or objectionable regarding Bandi Sanjay.

The media channels have been restrained from broadcasting any defamatory content until further orders.

The court warned that strict action would be taken against those violating the order under the Contempt of Courts Act and other laws.

Meanwhile, in a related development, Bandi Sanjay’s mother, Shakuntala, suffered a cardiac arrest in Karimnagar.

She was shifted to Hyderabad and admitted to a private hospital.

Bandi Sanjay visited the hospital and enquired about his mother’s condition.

–IANS

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