Indian newspaper owner gets 10 life terms for child rape

An Indian newspaper owner has been sentenced to 10 life terms for raping and sexually abusing five minor girls in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, while four accomplices have also been jailed for their roles in the cases.

A special POCSO court judge, Kumudini Singh, handed down the verdict on Tuesday (October 28), sentencing 78-year-old Pyaare Miyan to 10 life terms and fining him Rs 77.64 lakh. Eight of the sentences require him to remain in prison until his death.

His accomplices Rabia Bibi and Sweety Vishwakarma received 20 years in prison each, while manager Obais was sentenced to life imprisonment. Doctor Hemant Mittal was jailed for five years for allegedly helping arrange abortions for victims.

According to 'Hindustan Times', the prosecution said Pyaare Miyan had targeted vulnerable girls since 2014, luring them with promises of domestic work and a monthly salary of Rs 10,000. The case came to light in July 2020, when police found several girls intoxicated in Bhopal and launched an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse.

-AH