Couple convicted in child abuse and pornography racket
February 21, 2026: A POCSO court in Banda on Friday sentenced Ram Bhavan and his wife Durgavati to death in a high-profile child sexual abuse and pornography case. In a 160-page judgment, Judge Pradeep Kumar Mishra held the couple guilty of sexually assaulting more than 50 children and filming and selling the material abroad. The court also directed the government to provide ₹10 lakh compensation to each of the affected children.
The case came to light after inputs received through Interpol, following which the CBI registered an FIR on October 30, 2020. Ram Bhavan, a junior engineer in the Irrigation Department, was arrested from Chitrakoot on November 16, 2020, while Durgavati was arrested on December 28, 2020, for allegedly intimidating witnesses. Both were lodged in Banda divisional jail. Investigators reportedly recovered a pen drive containing 679 photos and videos involving 36 children, with material allegedly circulated across 40–45 countries.
The charge sheet was filed in February 2021, and the trial continued for four years, during which the prosecution examined 74 witnesses. While Durgavati was granted bail by the High Court at a later stage, both remained central accused in the case. The verdict brings closure to one of the most disturbing cases handled by the Banda POCSO court in recent years.