In a landmark judgment, a special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Banda district today sentenced a former junior engineer and his wife to death for the systematic sexual abuse of 33 minor boys over a span of 10 years. The convicted couple, Rambhawan and Durgawati, were found guilty of heinous crimes, including aggravated penetrative sexual assault, creation and dissemination of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and criminal conspiracy, marking one of the most severe penalties under India’s child protection laws.
The verdict, delivered by Special Judge Pradeep Kumar Mishra, comes after a protracted trial over the couple’s predatory actions between 2010 and 2020 in the districts of Banda and Chitrakoot. Rambhawan, who was employed as a junior engineer in the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department at the time, and his wife, allegedly lured young boys, some as young as three years old, into their home with promises of gifts, video games, and emotional support, only to subject them to repeated sexual assaults.
The abuse involved unnatural offences, forced participation in pornographic activities, and the recording of explicit videos and images, which were reportedly disseminated online.
In a Landmark Verdict POCSO Court Sentences Two Child Predators to Death for Heinous Abuse of 33 Minor Children pic.twitter.com/4vF2Q1Sk74
— Central Bureau of Investigation (India) (@CBIHeadquarters) February 20, 2026
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the probe in October 2020 following alerts from international agencies like Interpol, the investigation revealed a pattern of calculated predation. The agency conducted meticulous forensic analysis, including medical examinations of the victims and recovery of digital evidence from the accused’s devices.
Statements from over 50 children were recorded during the trial, underscoring the scale of the exploitation, though the charges focused on 33 confirmed victims. Many victims suffered severe physical injuries requiring hospitalisation, as well as long-term psychological trauma, with some developing conditions like squint eye from the assaults. The CBI said that forensic experts, medical professionals, and child protection authorities were involved in the case to ensure the minors’ emotional well-being and to preserve evidence without further traumatising them.
The court convicted the duo under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 377 (unnatural offences) and 120B (criminal conspiracy), as well as provisions of the POCSO Act such as Sections 5 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) and 11 (using a child for pornographic purposes). In addition to the death penalty, each accused was fined ₹10 lakh, with the amount to be distributed equally among the victims as compensation.
This is among the few instances where the death penalty has been awarded under POCSO for non-murderous sexual offences.
The horrors came to light in late 2020 when international law enforcement agencies flagged suspicious online activities linked to the couple. Rambhawan, leveraging his position and access to online platforms, allegedly used video games and allurements to groom the children, many from vulnerable backgrounds. His wife, Durgawati, was implicated as an abettor, assisting in the crimes and the handling of digital material. The CBI filed a chargesheet against the pair on 10th February 2021, leading to their arrest and subsequent trial.
The case gained attention for its national and international dimensions, with evidence suggesting the CSAM was shared beyond India’s borders. The POCSO court’s decision to classify the offences as “rarest of rare” was based on the sheer scale of the crime spanning multiple districts and affecting children across age groups, as well as the combined heinous nature that left no room for reformation.
