LUCKNOW/KANPUR, Feb. 21 -- A special Pocso court in Banda district on Friday sentenced a man and his wife to death for sexually exploiting children and selling their videos and photographs to foreign buyers on the dark web. The court also directed that a letter be sent to the district magistrate, recommending that each victim be awarded Rs.10 lakh compensation. The court of judge Pradeep Kumar Mishra awarded capital punishment to Ram Bhavan, a junior engineer (JE) posted in the irrigation department in Chitrakoot, and his wife Durgawati, directing that both be "hanged till death." The couple had been convicted on February 18 under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, the Information Technology Act and other laws relating to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Advocate Kamal Singh, appearing in the court, stated that the case dates back to October 2020. The CBI received information from Interpol that an individual was creating pornographic videos of children aged between 7 and 18 years using three mobile numbers and uploading them on the internet. A pen drive was also recovered, which contained videos of 34 children and 679 photographs. The children were residents of Banda, Chitrakoot, and adjoining districts. When the mobile numbers were traced, it was found that Ram Bhavan was carrying out the illegal activities along with his wife. Acting in coordination with the Banda police, the CBI arrested Ram Bhavan on November 18, 2020, after digital intelligence linked him to CSAM circulated through encrypted platforms and the dark web. Durgawati was taken into custody the following month on the charges of influencing witnesses and pressuring victims' families into a compromise. Investigators reconstructed the crime scene with the accused on November 26, 2020, while the Pocso court extended his CBI custody by a week on January 7, 2021 to facilitate medical examinations, voice sampling, forensic analysis, and expert evaluation at AIIMS, along with a detailed examination of seized digital devices. A charge sheet was filed on February 12, 2021, detailing systematic sexual exploitation of children and production and distribution of explicit content. Investigators found evidence of sexual abuse involving at least 50 children. The material - videos and photographs - was digitally transmitted via the dark web, cloud networks, and email to buyers in 45 countries. During searches at the accused's residence, the CBI recovered eight mobile phones, a laptop, pen drives, sex toys, and Rs.8 lakh in cash. The CBI's Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) unit played a key role in tracking encrypted transactions and identifying the accused through digital footprints. "During the investigation, it surfaced that the accused had committed various acts of perversity, including aggravated penetrative sexual assaults against 33 male children, some of them as young as three years of age. The probe also revealed that some of the victims had suffered injuries to their private parts during penetrative sexual assault," a senior CBI officer said. "Some of the victims developed squint eye. Victims are still suffering from psychological trauma caused by the predators. The predators remained active in the general area of Banda and Chitrakoot between 2010 and 2020," he added. He said the investigation remained sensitive to the minor victims during their examination and ensured their emotional well-being through counselling. Seamless coordination was ensured with forensic experts, medical experts dealing with child sexual abuse cases and child protection authorities. Investigation also ensured handling and preservation of digital evidence. According to the prosecution, Ram Bhavan lured children with gifts such as mobile phones, chocolates, and watches. He maintained links with foreign paedophile networks through encrypted communication channels. More than 50 child victims recorded their statements before the court, while the CBI produced 74 witnesses during the trial. The prosecution argued that the scale, systematic nature, and international dissemination of abuse material constituted a rarest-of-the-rare case warranting death penalty. Pronouncing the sentence, the judge observed that the gravity of the crime and its far-reaching impact on vulnerable children justified the maximum punishment under law....