Police widen Bandi Bageerath POCSO investigation ahead of custody plea

Three days after the arrest of Bandi Sai Bageerath in connection with a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case, the Cyberabad police are preparing to file a custody petition seeking his interrogation in the case.

Mr. Bageerath was arrested on May 16, nearly a week after a case was registered at the Petbasheerabad police station based on a complaint lodged by the mother of a 17-year-old girl. The complainant accused him of sexually assaulting and emotionally manipulating her daughter over several months.

Following the victim’s statement, police added Section 64(2)(m) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to repeated rape and Section 5(l) read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act relating to aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

Meanwhile, investigators have completed the reconstruction of the sequence of events described by the victim by verifying evidence from multiple locations, including a farmhouse in Moinabad where the victim alleged she was assaulted on New Year’s eve.

Police teams reportedly verified booking details, examined CCTV footage, analysed digital and payment trails and questioned staff members present at the locations concerned. Friends of the accused who were allegedly present at the time of the incident were also questioned during the investigation.

Officials said data records and IP-related information were analysed to match the locations and timelines mentioned in the victim’s statement.

Investigators suspect that the accused deleted key evidence from his mobile phone before his arrest. Forensic and technical analysis is currently under way to retrieve deleted content and examine data linked to his phone.

Meanwhile, the Telangana High Court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on Mr. Bageerath’s anticipatory bail petition on May 21.