Couple Gets Death Sentence for Sexually Exploiting 33 Children

A special POCSO court in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh in India has sentenced a couple, an engineer husband and his wife, to death after convicting them in a case registered against them under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act for sexually exploiting 33 innocent children by making their pornographic videos and photographs and selling them to foreign buyers on the dark web to earn millions of rupees.

The court also ordered a compensation of ₹10 lakh each to the families of the affected children.

The court of additional district judge (POCSO) Pradeep Kumar Mishra convicted the accused in the case on February 18 this year and pronounced the sentence. The court called it a rarest of the rare case.

Nearly five years ago, the incident came to light when the Central Bureau of Investigation, based on a thorough investigation and solid evidence, arrested Rambhavan, a suspended junior engineer with the Irrigation Department of the government, and his wife Durgavati.

At the time of arrest, many electronic devices, including pen drives, laptops, and mobile phones, were recovered from the couple, providing crucial clues to this heinous crime.

According to reports, a pen drive was also recovered that contained videos of 33 children and 679 photographs. The CBI submitted an investigation report in 2020. The children were residents of Banda, Chitrakoot, and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Both the accused sentenced to death

The special court convicted the couple based on available evidence and witness statements. The court stated in its verdict that this case came under the category of extremely heinous and rarest of rare crimes, in which the innocence of children was shattered.

To prevent such crimes in the society, the court sentenced both the accused to death.

The Special POCSO court categorizing the case as "rarest of the rare," pronounced capital punishment to both the convicts, Ram Bhavan and his wife Durgavati.

Financial assistance of ₹10 lakh to each victim family

The court not only imposed a harsh punishment on the accused but also showed sensitivity towards the families of the affected children. The court ordered that the families of each child victim be provided financial assistance of ₹10 lakh from both the state and central governments. This amount will go towards rehabilitating the victims and securing their future.

Hang until death

On behalf of the prosecution, Special CBI Prosecutor Dhara Singh stated that the accused lived in a rented house in Chitrakoot, sexually exploited approximately 33 minor children, filmed videos, and sent them abroad.

Investigations revealed that he had made and sent over 200,000 videos.

A total of 74 witnesses were presented in the court in the case. Finding the accused guilty, the court sentenced both to death and ordered them to be hanged until death. This decision is being considered a strong message against crimes against minors in the country.

The state government and relevant departments should take concrete steps to ensure the rehabilitation, psychological treatment, and a secure future of the victimized children.

Obscene videos and photos of children sent to several countries

According to court records, the accused lured and threatened minor children for several years and physically and mentally abused them. The victims ranged in age from 3 to 17.

Investigation into the case also revealed that the accused made obscene videos and photos of the children, which were sent to approximately 47 countries outside India and used for blackmailing and other criminal activities.