Representational image A Pocso court in UP’s Banda sentenced to death Friday a former govt junior engineer and his wife for sexually abusing 33 boys over a decade, some as young as three, and selling videos and photographs of their torture on the dark web to customers across 47 countries. Additional district judge PK Mishra said convicts Ram Bhawan (50) and Durgawati (47) inflicted such physical and psychological trauma on the survivors – some required hospitalisation for injuries to their genitals and a few developed squint eyes – that their crimes deserved to be categorised as “rarest of rare”. “The sheer scale of this victimisation 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,” says the order. The court directed the UP govt to pay Rs 10 lakh in compensation to each of the 33 victims. Ram Bhawan, who worked in the UP jalkal (waterworks) department, and Durgawati would lure children by offering them access to online video games, money and gifts. They remained active in Banda and Chitrakoot from 2010 till 2020, when Interpol got CBI involved in an inquiry on child sexual abuse content on the dark web.’Still battling trauma’ CBI registered an FIR on Oct 31 that year after the trail led to Ram Bhawan and Durgawati. The agency had filed a chargesheet documenting their crimes on Feb 10, 2021. Special public prosecutor Kamal Singh Gautam said the case had an overwhelming amount of evidence of what the children were subjected to. “The survivors are still suffering the psychological trauma caused by the predators”, Gautam said. CBI had medical experts from AIIMS Delhi to examine 25 of the children who suffered severe injuries at the hands of the convicts. The prosecution relied on their reports, digital evidence and the testimonies of the children to build their case and seek capital punishment to those accused in the case. Additional district judge Mishra convicted the couple of offences ranging from aggravated penetrative sexual assault and using children for pornographic purposes to abetment and criminal conspiracy under relevant sections.About the AuthorPathikrit ChakrabortyWhen not covering crime, he reads fiction, roams around the dark alleys of the city in the dead of night. An MA (English Litt) from University of Lucknow, Pathikrit loves to speak French, well at least a smattering of it. He did his graduation in French language. A recipient of the Road Safety Fellowship of the United Nations, Pathikrit drives cautiously and advises others to do that too.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Not Negotiated’: India Explains UN Statement on Israel’s West Bank ExpansionSam Altman Applauds India AI Summit, Calls PM Modi’s Vision InspiringMamata Banerjee vs Election Commission: Supreme Court Orders Judicial Oversight in Bengal SIRIndia Delivers Grim Terror Reminder To Pakistan After Khawaja Asif Alleges Delhi-Kabul Proxy NexusMEA’s Clears India’s Position On Russia Oil After US Envoy Conveys Trump’s Wish On Venezuelan OilHigh Drama At AI Summit Amid Congress’ Shirtless Protests, BJP Calls Party ‘Shameless’ | Headlines@8AI Prodigy Raul John Aju Thrilled After Meeting UN Chief in DelhiBJP Targets Rahul Gandhi Over AI Summit Protest RowBeyond Oil: How India & US Are Securing the Future of AI ChipsCongress Paradox: Tharoor Lauds AI Summit While Youth Stages Shirtless Protest at Venue123PhotostoriesJust one month to go for ‘Dhurandhar 2’ vs ‘Toxic’: Here’s what the big box-office clash promisesHow to make classic Gobhi Matar Pulao for lunchFrom being bullied for making rotis to watching his mother clean gutters; When MasterChef India judge Vikas Khanna spoke about his early struggles13 fermented dishes of India one absolutely needs to tryFrom ‘The Kerala Story’ to ‘Pathaan’: 12 Indian films that faced massive controversy before releaseTop 5 Tier-2 cities in India driving real estate growth in 20265 fascinating facts about Indian hill stationsFrom Shikhar Dhawan to Rashmika Mandanna: Indian celebrities who found love again after bitter divorce or break up6 animals that have mastered cave life and are rarely seen by humans10 best rated Jackfruit dishes from around the world123Hot PicksIndia-US trade dealGold rate todayDelhi traffic advisoryArjun’s wedding ceremonyIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingDan HookerAlysa Liu familyTommaso GiacomelMens Hockey OlympicsTravis Kelce MansionsSidney Crosby and Kathy Leutner Net WorthDillon GabrielNathan MacKinnonCade CunninghamMontreal Canadiens
A Pocso court in UP’s Banda sentenced to death Friday a former govt junior engineer and his wife for sexually abusing 33 boys over a decade, some as young as three, and selling videos and photographs of their torture on the dark web to customers across 47 countries. Additional district judge PK Mishra said convicts Ram Bhawan (50) and Durgawati (47) inflicted such physical and psychological trauma on the survivors – some required hospitalisation for injuries to their genitals and a few developed squint eyes – that their crimes deserved to be categorised as “rarest of rare”. “The sheer scale of this victimisation 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,” says the order. The court directed the UP govt to pay Rs 10 lakh in compensation to each of the 33 victims. Ram Bhawan, who worked in the UP jalkal (waterworks) department, and Durgawati would lure children by offering them access to online video games, money and gifts. They remained active in Banda and Chitrakoot from 2010 till 2020, when Interpol got CBI involved in an inquiry on child sexual abuse content on the dark web.‘Still battling trauma’ CBI registered an FIR on Oct 31 that year after the trail led to Ram Bhawan and Durgawati. The agency had filed a chargesheet documenting their crimes on Feb 10, 2021. Special public prosecutor Kamal Singh Gautam said the case had an overwhelming amount of evidence of what the children were subjected to. “The survivors are still suffering the psychological trauma caused by the predators”, Gautam said. CBI had medical experts from AIIMS Delhi to examine 25 of the children who suffered severe injuries at the hands of the convicts. The prosecution relied on their reports, digital evidence and the testimonies of the children to build their case and seek capital punishment to those accused in the case. Additional district judge Mishra convicted the couple of offences ranging from aggravated penetrative sexual assault and using children for pornographic purposes to abetment and criminal conspiracy under relevant sections.
