Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. | Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR (File Image)
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy advised Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar to produce his son before the police and cooperate responsibly with the investigation.
“Morally, his approach is wrong. He should face the issue boldly, take his son before the police and cooperate with the investigation instead of avoiding it,” the CM said at a media conclave in Hyderabad on Friday.
He warned that stricter legal action would be taken by the police if the reports were ignored, reiterating that the Congress government stands firmly with the victims and will ensure punishment to anyone found guilty under the law.
At the same time, Mr. Reddy defended the State Government’s action in the alleged POCSO case involving Mr. Sanjay Kumar’s son, claiming that the investigation was conducted strictly according to law without any political bias.
Denying allegations of deliberate delay, he said the police acted immediately after the mother of the minor girl filed a complaint at the Pet Basheerabad police station on May 8 night. The investigation began the very next day and the relevant sections were later changed based on the progress of the investigation and the victim’s statement.
The chief minister explained that the delay in issuing the notice was due to the need for a thorough investigation, especially since the complaint related to incidents that allegedly happened months earlier, before December. “If we were in a hurry, the same people would accuse us of acting hastily,” he noted.
Mr. Reddy said the government had no intention of protecting anyone, be it film personalities, politicians or influential people. “If we intended to help the accused, would we even use the POCSO Act?” he asked.
The Chief Minister said cases involving minors required extreme caution as even a small procedural error could affect the future of the children concerned. He also said police are looking into irregularities related to the victim’s birth certificate as part of the investigation.
Taking a dig at political critics, he said he was not aware of the differences between Mr. Sanjay Kumar and BRS leaders. He also questioned whether the invocation of the POCSO Act should be read as intimidation or as taking the victim’s side.
Published – 15 May 2026 21:16 IST
