Koppal district court has handed down death sentences to three individuals involved in the gang rape of an Israeli tourist and an Indian woman, as well as the murder of an Odia tourist near Sanapura Lake in Gangavathi taluk on March 6 of the previous year. The location of the crime was approximately 25 kilometers from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi. As per a report in TOI, the incident had generated significant public outrage.
The court classified the offense as falling under the “rarest of rare” category and determined that the prosecution had established the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Judge Sadananda Nagappa Nayaka of the first additional district and sessions court imposed capital punishment on the three convicted men: Mallesh alias Handimalla, 22; Sai alias Chaitanya Sai, 21; and Sharanappa alias Sharanabasavaraj, 30, all residents of Sai Nagar, Gangavathi.
The verdict followed the court’s February 6 ruling that found the accused guilty and deferred sentencing. The Indian woman, aged 29 and a homestay owner, was subjected to brutal assault, strangulation, and gang rape. The 27-year-old Israeli tourist was also gang raped. Bibash Nayak, 26, a tour guide from Odisha accompanying the group, along with two other male tourists, was killed during the attack. The perpetrators stole two mobile phones and Rs 9,500 in cash from the victims before fleeing.
Police reports indicate that the victims—two women and three men who had met at a homestay near Hampi—were stargazing near the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal when the suspects, reportedly intoxicated, assaulted them. Superintendent of Police Ram L Arasiddi stated that two of the accused were apprehended within 24 hours of the crime. Authorities collected testimony from 101 witnesses and secured 84 items for DNA analysis, describing the case as challenging and sensitive.
Firoz Kumar Pradhan, a cousin of the deceased Bibash Nayak, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, noting that the verdict was delivered in under a year. He also thanked the Karnataka government and police for their prompt investigation and filing of the chargesheet. Bibash Nayak, aged 29, was known for his passion for travel.
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