In a landmark ruling, a special POCSO court in Banda sentenced a suspended junior engineer and his wife to death for the systematic sexual exploitation of 33 children and the sale of abuse material on the dark web.
Describing the case as “rarest of the rare,” Additional District and Sessions Judge Pradeep Kumar Mishra ordered that Ram Bhavan and his wife, Durgavati, be “hanged till death” on Friday, February 20. The court noted that the “unparalleled depravity” of the crimes allowed no possibility for reformation.
A decade of horror: The modus operandi
Ram Bhavan, a junior engineer in the state’s Irrigation Department, and Durgavati ran a predatory network across Banda and Chitrakoot for ten years (2010–2020).
Enticement: The couple lured boys, some as young as three years old, using gifts like mobile phones, chocolates, watches, and access to online video games.
The crimes: Once lured, the children faced aggravated penetrative sexual assault. Investigators found that many victims endured permanent physical injuries and severe psychological trauma, with some reportedly developing a squint due to the abuse.
Commercial exploitation: The acts were documented and turned into a business. The couple allegedly distributed over 2 lakh objectionable videos and photographs to buyers in nearly 47 countries through encrypted platforms and the dark web.
CBI investigation and digital evidence
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began its investigation in October 2020 after a tip from Interpol.
Arrests: Ram Bhavan was arrested in November 2020, with his wife following a month later. Durgavati faced accusations of threatening survivors’ families to sway the trial.
The seizures: During raids, the CBI found ₹8.27 lakh in cash, eight mobile phones, laptops, and storage devices that held 34 explicit videos and nearly 700 photographs of the victims.
International linkages: Forensic analysis of email accounts showed regular contact with foreign nationals for the distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
The verdict: Death penalty and compensation
The court convicted the couple under various sections of the IPC (including Section 377 for unnatural offences), the POCSO Act, and the IT Act.
