The Telangana High Court has adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by Bandi Bhageerath, son of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay, seeking to quash a POCSO case registered against him. The court announced it would deliver its verdict on the interim bail application on Friday, with the hearing on anticipatory bail scheduled for next week.

Advocate Niranjan Reddy argued on behalf of Bhageerath, highlighting issues related to the victim’s age. He pointed out that while the police stated her age as 15 in the charge sheet, her GHMC-issued birth certificate listed her birth year as 2008, and her PAN card as 2010. Reddy also noted that in 2021, when she was caught driving without being eligible, her age was recorded as 15.

The High Court questioned the discrepancy between the charge sheet and the PAN card, instructing police to examine the birth certificates. When the victim’s counsel referred to Bandi Bhageerath as a “criminal,” the petitioner’s lawyer objected strongly. The judge expressed displeasure over the heated exchange, emphasising that no individual should be called a “criminal” until guilt is proven.