Uttar Pradesh’s judicial system has delivered a scathing blow to child predators with a Banda court imposing capital punishment on Ram Bhavan and Durgavati for multiple POCSO violations. The duo’s crimes spanned serious sexual assaults, production of child pornography, and its storage and distribution over a decade.
Court documents detail the orchestrated torment of 33 minors, with injuries to private parts noted in several cases—some victims remain hospitalized. The psychological wounds inflicted by these ‘monsters’ continue to haunt the young survivors.
Operating from 2010 to 2020, the accused exploited their positions—Ram Bhavan as an irrigation department engineer—to entice children via digital games, bribes, and presents in Banda and nearby Chitrakoot. The CBI’s probe, initiated in late 2020, exposed the full extent of their depravity, culminating in a chargesheet filed in early 2021.
Expert testimonies from forensics, pediatric trauma specialists, and child welfare bodies fortified the prosecution. Deeming the offenses unparalleled in brutality, the judge classified it a ‘rarest of rare’ case warranting the gallows.
Beyond the death penalty, restorative measures include Rs 10 lakh per victim from the state and equitable sharing of confiscated cash. This ruling not only punishes the guilty but also spotlights the need for robust child safety nets, preventive education, and technological safeguards against online grooming.