In a historic decision, a special POCSO court in Banda, Uttar Pradesh has handed down a death sentence to Ram Bhavan, a 50-year-old former government junior engineer, and Durgawati, 47-year-old, for the sexual abuse of 33 minor boys over a span of 10 years. The judge stated that this case is at the extreme “rarest of rare” level because of the mass scale of sexual assaults and the severe physical and psychological trauma of the child survivors that have been caused.
Couple’s Operation for Luring Children
The couple allegedly targeted children from poor families in their neighbourhood during 2010 to 2020. According to the report, the couple used a number of ways to lure and trap the children:
Children attracted with Bribery using money, food, chocolates, and watches. The couple provided mobile, internet, and popular online video games to gain the children’s trust. After being lured, the children were sexually abused in the couple’s house, some of them were only three years old.
A Global Pornography Network
The abuse went beyond just physical assaults, these atrocities were extensively recorded as well. Ram Bhavan and Durgawati produced and distributed Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on a gigantic scale.
Over two lakh (200,000) objectionable videos and photographs were circulated. The material was sold on the dark web and through encrypted platforms to customers in as many as 47 countries. The operation was uncovered after Interpol flagged digital intelligence traced back to the couple, prompting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the case in October 2020.
Brutality Evidence & The Verdict
The prosecution led by Special Public Prosecutor Kamal Singh Gautam, brought out the most compelling evidence which included the depositions of over 50 children survivors along with the expert medical reports from AIIMS, Delhi. The court observed:
Some victims had severe injuries to their genitals which necessitated hospitalization.
Some survivors had to face complications such as squint eyes due to the trauma.
The victims are still longing for a cure for their profound psychological distress.
Additional District Judge Pradeep Kumar Mishra delivered the sentence on February 20–21, 2026, observing that there was “no room for reformation” for the convicts.
| Detail | Court Directive |
| Primary Sentence | Death penalty for both Ram Bhavan and Durgawati. |
| Victim Compensation | ₹10 lakh to be paid by the UP government to each of the 33 victims. |
| Asset Distribution | Cash seized from the accused’s home to be distributed equally among the victims. |
“The sheer scale of this victimisation… marks this as a crime of such an exceptional and heinous nature that it leaves no room for reformation, necessitating the ultimate judicial deterrent,” stated the court.
