Hyderabad, May 14 (RAHNUMA): The Telangana High Court has postponed the hearing of Bandi Sai Bageerath’s bail application until Friday, after discussions regarding the interim anticipatory bail in this prominent case.
Bandi Sai Bageerath, son of Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, is a defendant in a POCSO case that was filed against him at the Pet Basheerabad police station on May 8.
Justice T. Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court on Thursday noted that the hearing for the anticipatory bail will take place next week. Advocate Niranjan Reddy represented the petitioner, while Public Prosecutor Nageswara Rao presented the case for the police.
In his arguments, Niranjan Reddy referenced Supreme Court rulings that support the issuance of anticipatory bails, emphasising that judges possess the inherent authority to grant interim protections.
Presenting arguments on behalf of Bhagirath, advocate Niranjan Reddy drew the court’s attention to several issues regarding the victim’s age. He stated that while the police charge sheet records her age as 15 years, the birth certificate issued by the GHMC lists the year of birth as 2008, whereas her PAN card indicates 2010.
Niranjan Reddy brought to the court’s attention that the victim was 15 years old when she was caught driving without a valid license in 2021. The High Court questioned why the dates of birth listed in the charge sheet and the PAN card differed. It directed the police to examine the birth certificates.
When the counsel for the victim referred to Bandi Bhagirath as a “criminal,” the counsel for the petitioner raised strong objections. The judge expressed severe displeasure over the heated argument that ensued between the two.
The High Court indicated that a person should not be regarded as a “criminal” until their guilt has been established. The Judge commented that if the lawyers continued to behave without restraint, the case could be moved to a different bench. He urged the lawyers to maintain professionalism.
However, the court agreed to consider the interim anticipatory bail application on Friday, while scheduling the main anticipatory bail hearing for the next week.
