Hyderabad, July 6: The Telangana High Court on Monday reserved its verdict on the bail petition of Bandi Bhagirath, an accused in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, after hearing arguments from both sides.
Counsel representing the victim opposed the bail plea and urged the court not to release the accused at the present stage of the investigation.
The Pet Basheerabad police filed a counter affidavit stating that granting bail could lead to the accused influencing witnesses. Police informed the court that the POCSO case was registered following a complaint filed by the victim’s mother.
The prosecution said the charges were revised after recording the victim’s statement, citing the seriousness of the allegations. The government counsel told the court that, according to the victim’s statement, the accused allegedly gained her trust through friendship and sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.
The victim’s counsel argued that the accused’s father is a Union Minister and claimed this could influence the proceedings. The counsel also submitted that several witnesses are yet to be examined and expressed concern that granting bail could affect their testimony.
After hearing submissions from both the prosecution and the defence, the Telangana High Court reserved its order on the bail petition.
