Child pornography case: CBI team and AIIMS doctors reach Uttar Pradesh's Chitrakoot; medical tests of minor victims start

Child pornography case in Uttar Pradesh: The CBI along with a team of five doctors from AIIMS reached Chitrakoot.

In the latest development to the case related to child pornography in Uttar Pradesh, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday took major action. A team of five specialist doctors of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) along with the CBI team from Delhi reached Chitrakoot on Thursday.

They are conducting health tests at the Urban Primary Health Centre on children allegedly sexually exploited by an arrested junior engineer of the irrigation department. The CBI team reached Chitrakoot, which is the native place of the accused and has started conducting health tests of the children who were victims of the heinous act.

The investigation is being carried out while keeping the identity of the children a secret. The team of doctors from AIIMS consists of two female and three male doctors.

According to the CBI sources, more than 25 children was medically examined on Thursday and it will continue for the next two days. As per the sources, important evidence will also be collected during the medical tests.

Junior Engineer Ram Bhawan, accused of sexual abuse and child pornography, underwent a medical test in Delhi's AIIMS three days ago. A team of eight doctors conducted the medical test. However, the report of mental test is yet to come. On November 16, 2020, the CBI had held a Junior Engineer from Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh on the allegations of sexually abusing over 50 children in the state's Chitrakoot, Banda and Hamirpur districts.

Thursday's development comes almost five days after Bhawan was brought to Delhi for a detailed forensic, medical and psychological assessment by a team of AIIMS doctors. Bhawan was arrested on the charge of sexually exploiting minors in 10 years and selling video clips and photographs of his sexual acts on the darknet to paedophiles across the globe.

The CBI had earlier said that Bhawan was sexually exploiting minors and was arrested from Banda district. According to the CBI, the matter was brought to the notice of the agency in 2020. The CBI team during searches had recovered eight mobile phones, around Rs 8 lakh in cash, sex toys, laptop, and other digital evidence carrying huge quantity of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

A case was then registered against unidentified persons suspected of sexually abusing minors in Banda, Chitrakoot and Hamirpur districts. The CBI in a statement told news agency IANS, "It was further alleged that these photographs and video films containing child sexual abuse material were published and transmitted by the accused using the facility of internet. It was also alleged that the accused used the dark web for sale, transmission and sharing of such CSAM content with other individuals."

The CBI on December 29, 2020, also arrested his wife Durgawati from Banda for trying to influence and manipulate the prime witnesses in the case against her husband.