A Special Judicial First Class Magistrate (Spl JFCM) court in Hyderabad, which handles cases involving MLAs and MPs, has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar. The warrant relates to a 2021 case filed during the Huzurabad Assembly by-election in Karimnagar, where Sanjay is accused of violating the model code of conduct. The court’s decision came after the minister failed to appear for a scheduled hearing, despite prior instructions to be present.
The case, registered in October 2021 under various sections of the IPC and the Representation of the People Act, revolves around allegations made by Bandi Sanjay against rival parties. He had reportedly claimed that leaders of an opposing party were distributing ₹20,000 per vote, but only ₹5,000 reached the voters, with the remainder allegedly misappropriated. The police filed a chargesheet in 2023, and the case was subsequently transferred to the Special Judicial Magistrate’s court. His lawyer argued that Sanjay’s absence was due to ongoing parliamentary sessions.
The court, however, took a stern stance, pointing to repeated non-compliance with court orders. Following his absence during multiple hearings, the magistrate issued the non-bailable warrant and adjourned the proceedings until July 30. The development comes amid ongoing political tensions, with Bandi Sanjay also making headlines for his strong remarks on the Waqf Amendment Bill. The minister, a key BJP leader from Telangana, has yet to respond officially to the warrant.
