Overview
- The special court ordered ₹10 lakh compensation for each of the 33 identified victims and directed that cash seized from the couple’s home be distributed among them in equal shares.
- Investigators found the abuse was filmed and the child sexual abuse material was sold via encrypted platforms and the dark web to buyers in about 47 countries.
- An INTERPOL alert in October 2020 led the CBI to register the case, seize multiple devices and recover a pen drive with 34 videos and 679 photographs tied to the accused.
- The prosecution filed a chargesheet in February 2021; charges were framed in May 2023; 74 witnesses were examined before Special POCSO Judge Pradeep Kumar Mishra delivered the February 20 verdict.
- Medical evidence documented severe physical injuries and lasting psychological trauma among victims, with the CBI stating the couple lured children using online games, money and gifts.