The POCSO case of Bandi Bhageerath has become far more critical with the Cyberabad Police adding Section 64(2)(m) of the BNS, which deals with repeated sexual assault on the same victim.
The non-bailable POCSO Sections 5(l) read with 6 are already part of the FIR. Though these non-bailable sections make it difficult for the accused to secure bail, it is not impossible. With these sections, the courts will tread more cautiously when granting relief, as they would consider the available evidence before reaching a decision.
Bhageerath is currently lodged in the Cherlapally Central Jail in the general barracks, and no one met him during the Sunday mulaqats. Local media reported that he was not given any special privileges.
The police are also said to have been collecting evidence in the case. Some reports alleged that Bhageerath had deleted all digital evidence and his social media footprint. However, the police are trying to trace evidence using cutting-edge forensic technologies.
The police may even seek court orders to retrieve data from Bhageerath's iCloud account. The victim's phone could be another source of evidence. They are also working on corroborative evidence.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Police also cracked down on 24 media outlets—mostly social media influencers—who reportedly circulated photos and videos of the victim and her parents.
While some of them could be identified as paid influencers—as they were using identical scripts—some senior influencers displayed those visuals under the guise of explaining case details. Most of these photos and videos were allegedly sourced from Bhageerath's phone.
The Pet Basheerabad Police have booked cases against these outlets after the Child Welfare Committee of the Medchal-Malkajgiri district filed a complaint under Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, Section 72(1) of the BNSS, and Section 23 of the POCSO Act, which prohibit the disclosure of the identity and details of minor victims. Police are working to identify the individuals behind these social media handles and URLs.
The Charminar Police have also reportedly filed cases against individuals who circulated rumours that Bhageerath's father, Bandi Sanjay, tried to influence a member of the judiciary.
During the interim relief hearing on May 15, Justice T. Madhavi Devi expressed her anguish over the social media propaganda targeting her and her family members and ordered the Hyderabad Police Commissioner to take strict action against those spreading such narratives.
These police actions could send a strong signal to social media influencers about the consequences of violating laws protecting the identity of minor victims.
