In a landmark judgment, a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district on Friday awarded the death penalty to Rambhawan and his wife Durgawati after convicting them in a case involving the sexual assault of 33 minor boys, some as young as three years old.
The court described the crimes as falling in the “rarest of rare” category.
CBI Probe & Chargesheet
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered the case on October 31, 2020, against Rambhawan and other unknown persons on allegations of sexually abusing children, using them for pornographic purposes, and creating and disseminating Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) online.
Following the investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet on October 10, 2021. Charges were framed by the court on May 26, 2023.
Rambhawan was employed as a Junior Engineer in the Irrigation Department at the time of the offences.
Systematic Exploitation Over A Decade
According to the CBI, the convicts remained active in Banda and Chitrakoot districts between 2010 and 2020. Investigators found that the accused used various methods to lure children, including offering money, gifts, and access to online video games.
The agency said the crimes involved orchestrated and aggravated penetrative sexual assaults against 33 young boys.
Severe Physical & Psychological Trauma
The CBI revealed that several victims suffered injuries to their private parts during the assaults, with some requiring hospitalisation. A few reportedly developed squint eye conditions.
Many of the children continue to suffer psychological trauma as a result of the abuse.
The investigating agency stated that special care was taken during the probe to ensure the emotional well-being of the minor victims, including providing counselling support during examinations.
Compensation & Asset Distribution
The Trial Court also directed the government to award compensation of ₹10 lakh to each victim. Additionally, it ordered that the cash seized from the accused’s residence be distributed equally among the victims.
In its press release, the CBI said the scale of victimisation across multiple districts, coupled with the extreme moral depravity of the convicts, left no scope for reformation.
Calling it an exceptionally heinous crime, the agency stated that the death sentence was necessary to meet the ends of justice.
