Uttar Pradesh POCSO Court Imposes Death Sentence on Former Engineer and Wife for Heinous Crimes Against Children
A POCSO court in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, delivered a landmark verdict on Friday, sentencing a former government junior engineer and his wife to death for the systematic sexual abuse of 33 boys over a decade. The convicts, identified as Ram Bhawan (50) and Durgawati (47), were found guilty of exploiting children as young as three years old and selling videos and pictures of their torture on the dark web to customers across 47 countries.
Court Cites "Rarest of Rare" Nature of Crimes in Sentencing Order
Additional District Judge PK Mishra, presiding over the case, emphasized that the physical and psychological trauma inflicted on the survivors warranted categorizing the offenses as "rarest of rare." The judge noted that some victims required hospitalization for genital injuries, while others developed squint eyes due to the abuse. In the sentencing order, Judge Mishra stated, "The sheer scale of this victimization across multiple districts, combined with the extreme moral turpitude of the convicts, marks this as a crime of such an exceptional and heinous nature that it leaves no room for reformation, necessitating the ultimate judicial deterrent to meet the ends of justice."
Compensation Ordered for Victims and Details of the Abuse Unfold
The court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to provide Rs 10 lakh in compensation to each of the 33 victims. Ram Bhawan, who worked in the UP Jal Kal (waterworks) department, and his wife Durgawati lured children by offering them access to online video games, money, and gifts. The couple operated actively in Banda and Chitrakoot districts from 2010 until 2020.
The investigation gained momentum when Interpol involved the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in probing the dissemination of child sexual abuse content on the dark web. Following a trail that led to Ram Bhawan and Durgawati, the CBI registered an FIR on October 31, 2020, and filed a charge sheet detailing their crimes on February 10, 2021.
Prosecution Builds Strong Case with Overwhelming Evidence
Special Public Prosecutor Kamal Singh Gautam highlighted that the case was supported by overwhelming evidence of the atrocities committed against the children. "The survivors are still suffering the psychological trauma caused by the predators," he remarked. To strengthen the prosecution's case, the CBI enlisted medical experts from AIIMS Delhi to examine 25 children who sustained severe injuries at the hands of the convicts.
The prosecution relied on:
- Medical reports from AIIMS experts
- Digital evidence retrieved from the dark web
- Testimonies of the child survivors
This evidence was pivotal in seeking capital punishment for the perpetrators.
Convictions Under POCSO Act and IPC Sections
Additional District Judge Mishra convicted the couple on multiple charges, including:
- Aggravated penetrative sexual assault
- Using children for pornographic purposes
- Abetment and criminal conspiracy
These offenses were prosecuted under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), underscoring the gravity of their actions and the legal framework's response to such egregious crimes.
