A sessions court in Koppal, Karnataka, has handed out a death sentence to three men convicted of a horrific crime spree near the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi. The convicts were found guilty of the gang-rape of two women and the murder of a male tourist from Odisha.
The Verdict
On February 16, 2026, the First Additional District and Sessions Court in Gangavathi, presided over by Judge Sadananda Nagappa Naik, awarded capital punishment to the three accused:
- ✦Mallesh (alias Handimalla)
- ✦Sai
- ✦Sharanappa
The court termed the case "rarest of rare," aiming to send a strong message against such brutality targeting tourists.
The Incident
The crime occurred on the night of March 6, 2025, near Sanapura Lake, about four kilometers from Hampi. A group comprising a 27-year-old Israeli tourist, a 29-year-old homestay operator, and three male tourists (from the United States, Odisha, and Maharashtra) had gone stargazing along the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal.
The Attack
According to investigators, the three convicts approached the group on a motorcycle under the pretext of asking for directions. They then demanded money and assaulted the group.
The attackers pushed the three male tourists into the canal. While two managed to swim to safety, the tourist from Odisha tragically drowned. His body was recovered the following morning. The attackers then brutally gang-raped the two women.
Justice Delivered
Police launched a swift manhunt and arrested the accused within days. The conviction and subsequent death penalty bring a measure of justice to the grieving family in Odisha and the survivors of this traumatic ordeal.
Media Coverage
- ✦The News Minute: Hampi gang rape case verdict: Three men sentenced to death
- ✦The Indian Express: Hampi gangrape-murder case: 3 get death penalty
- ✦The Hindu: Court awards death sentence to 3 in Hampi gang-rape, murder case