Lucknow, Feb 20 (NationPress) Characterizing it as a "rarest of rare" instance of extreme moral corruption, a Special POCSO Court in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, condemned a government junior engineer (JE) and his spouse to death for their involvement in the sexual abuse of 33 children, according to a statement from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official.

Rambhawan, who works in the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, along with his wife Durgawati, received the death penalty for multiple violations under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. These include unnatural offences, aggravated penetrative sexual offences, exploiting children for pornographic content, and the possession of child pornography, among other charges.

The presiding judge emphasized that the extensive victimization across various districts, paired with the convicts' profound moral depravity, categorizes this as a "crime of such exceptional and heinous nature that it allows no possibility for reformation, warranting the utmost judicial penalty to achieve justice".

The CBI reported that the convicted engineer used to entice his young victims with online video games, money, and gifts over a span of more than a decade.

Additionally, the trial court mandated that the Uttar Pradesh government provide Rs 10 lakh in compensation to each victim.

Moreover, the court ordered that cash seized from the perpetrators' residence be equally distributed among the victims.

The CBI initiated the investigation on October 31, 2020, against Rambhawan and other unidentified individuals based on allegations of child sexual abuse, utilizing children for pornographic activities, and the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse material online.

Investigations revealed that the accused had perpetrated aggravated penetrative sexual assaults against 33 male children, some as young as three years old.

The federal agency's inquiry uncovered that several victims had sustained injuries during the assaults.

Some victims required hospitalization, and a few developed squint eyes.

The CBI noted that several victims continue to experience psychological trauma as a result of their abuse.

The accused remained active in Banda and Chitrakoot districts of Uttar Pradesh from 2010 to 2020, as per the CBI.

A CBI official stated that the agency approached the examination of the minor victims with sensitivity, ensuring their emotional well-being through ongoing counseling.

During the investigation, strong coordination with forensic and medical experts specializing in child sexual abuse cases, as well as child protection authorities, was maintained. The investigation also prioritized the handling and preservation of digital evidence.

After concluding the investigation, the CBI submitted a charge sheet on February 10, 2021, against Rambhawan and his wife, with charges formally framed by the trial court on May 26, 2023.