Mathura court sentences man to life imprisonment for child assault

A Mathura court sentenced accused Shyam Bihari to life in prison after a fast-tracked trial found him guilty of sexually assaulting a minor girl and of collecting, sharing, and storing child sexual abuse material online. The Special Judge under the POCSO Act delivered the sentence on October 30, 2026, sentencing him to life in prison and a fine of Rs 1.43 lakh.

The case came to light on June 17, 2025, when the CBI filed a complaint under the IT Act in relation to digital offences. It was soon established that Bihari had also committed aggravated penetrative sexual assault on a minor. The victim was located, and the authorities took great care to ensure her safety and her emotional welfare throughout the course of the investigation.

Counselling was arranged, child sexual abuse specialists (both forensic and medical) were engaged, and child protection authorities were kept very much in the loop. All digital evidence was collected and preserved in a manner that would not compromise the investigation or the victim.

The CBI filed their chargesheet on August 14, 2025. Less than two months later (on October 16, 2025), the trial court framed charges covering rape, aggravated penetrative sexual assault, use of a child for pornographic purposes and possession of child sexual abuse material under the POCSO Act, the IPC and the IT Act. On hearing the evidence, the court found Bihari guilty of all the charges and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The speed of the process (FIR in mid-June to chargesheet in mid-August to conviction by end of October) is a clear reflection of the priority the CBI gives to cases of sexual exploitation of children. Every step of the way has been taken with the girl’s welfare at the heart of it, with the medical, forensic and protection agencies all working in close coordination so that the pursuit of justice didn’t in any way further victimise the girl. The life term now on record is the tangible outcome of that very determined pursuit of justice.

In its statement, the CBI reiterated that such offences are a top priority and that the child’s safety, rights and dignity will always be at the heart of both the investigation and the prosecution. The Mathura judgement is a recent example: a digital complaint led to a full account of physical assault; the evidence was properly gathered, and the court imposed the maximum sentence available.