A special POCSO court on Tuesday sentenced Pyare Miyan, the owner of a Bhopal-based vernacular newspaper, to 10 consecutive life terms for the rape and sexual assault of five minor girls. The punishment includes eight terms of imprisonment until death and two life imprisonment terms.
Following the allegations, police raided the flat and recovered liquor bottles and other incriminating material. A case was registered and Pyare Miyan was arrested from Srinagar nine days later. Special judge Kumadini Singh also imposed a fine of ₹ 77.64 lakh on the 78-year-old newspaper owner. His accomplice, Rabia Bi, was sentenced to imprisonment of 20 years. The case dates back to July 11, 2020, when police found several girls in an intoxicated condition in the Ratibad area in Bhopal.
Pyare Miyan won the trust of victims’ families by asking the girls to call him Abbu (father)”, according to the prosecution. He would visit their homes and participate in religious and family functions to strengthen that trust. Apart from the sexual offence cases, Pyare Miyan and his family also faced allegations of financial irregularities. His wife was accused of forming a fake society at Ansal Apartments to facilitate the installation of a mobile tower and divert rental payments into her account.
Co-accused Sweety Vishwakarma was awarded 20 years’ imprisonment, while Dr Hemant Mittal was sentenced to five years in jail for allegedly facilitating abortions of victims. In one such case, additional sessions Judge Kavita Verma sentenced his associate and manager, Owais, to life imprisonment.
