Bhopal, Pyare Miyan, owner of a daily newspaper, and accused of raping and sexually assaulting several minor girls, was awarded life imprisonment by a court on Monday. Additional Session Judge Savita Verma of Bhopal district court found him guilty and awarded life sentence.

Pyare Miyan was arrested from Kashmir in July 2020 a few days after a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against him. Presently, he is lodged in Jabalpur Jail. On Monday, he appeared before the special court of additional session judge Savita Verma via video conference.

He was booked after some minor girls accused him of sexual assault and harassment. He later reached the police station and tried to bribe an inspector. He had identified himself as the grandfather of the girls.

Earlier in 2020, during investigation Bhopal police recovered expensive liquor bottles, child pornography, sex toys etc from his lavish flat in Bhopal's posh Shyamla Hills. Pyare Mian, 70, was running a daily newspaper - Afkar in Madhya Pradesh.

The police came to know about Pyare Mian on July 12, 2020 after five minor girls were spotted in inappropriate condition and when inquired it emerged that they (girls) had gone to attend a party where they were sexually assaulted. However, after knowing that the police had started an investigation in the matter, Pyare Miyan escaped and was later arrested from Jammu and Kashmir.

During the investigation, police found that he used to lure parents on pretext of education. He used to convince parents that he will provide good education to their daughters and money as well.

The police had also claimed that he was sexually assaulting minor girls for the last several years and when parents wanted to get back their children, he used to threaten them of dire consequences. Police seized Pyare Mian's properties in different districts of Madhya Pradesh including Bhopal and Indore.