Bengaluru, Feb 16 (IANS) The First Additional District and Sessions Court in Gangavati, in Karnataka’s Koppal district, on Monday sentenced three men to death in connection with the gang-rape of an Israeli tourist and an Indian woman, and the killing of a male tourist near Sanapura Lake last year, located close to the Unesco World Heritage Site of Hampi.

Judge Sadananda Nagappa Nayaka of the First Additional District and Sessions Court pronounced the quantum of punishment, awarding capital punishment to the three convicts — Mallesh alias Handi Mallesh, Sai and Sharanappa. The court had last week found the accused guilty and reserved its order on sentencing.

Observing that the crime fell under the “rarest of rare” category, the court awarded the death penalty to all three convicts.

The verdict has been described as significant, as it was delivered within 11 months of the incident.

The case relates to an incident reported on March 6, 2025, near Sanapura Lake and the Tungabhadra Canal within the jurisdiction of the Gangavati Rural Police Station.

The brutal crime had made national headlines and led to a sharp decline in foreign tourist footfall to the nearby Unesco World Heritage Site of Hampi, as well as popular tourist spots such as Anjanadri and Sanapura Lake.

After the incident, the victims, in a state of shock, went to the police station and lodged a complaint.

Public Prosecutor Nagalaxmi, while presenting arguments, stated: “An Indian woman who owned a homestay had taken a group of guests — Pankaj from Maharashtra, Bibas from Odisha, an American tourist named Daniel, and an Israeli woman — for stargazing near the Tungabhadra Canal around 10.30 p.m.”

The three convicted men arrived at the spot on a motorcycle and picked a quarrel over money with the group of tourists. With the intention of sexually assaulting the women, the accused allegedly pushed the three male tourists into the canal and pelted stones at them to prevent them from escaping.

The prosecution stated that two of the accused then sexually assaulted the Indian homestay owner, followed by the rape of the Israeli tourist. One of the male tourists accompanying the group was killed in the attack as he could not come out of the canal.

Gangavati Rural Police registered a case and launched an investigation, leading to the arrest of Handi Mallesh and the two other accused. After completing the probe, police filed a chargesheet before the court.

The Karnataka BJP had strongly criticised the Congress-led government, alleging that the prevailing lawlessness in the state had led to incidents such as the gang rape of an Israeli tourist at the globally renowned tourist destination of Hampi.

“There is now a permanent black mark on Hampi as a global tourist destination. It will take nearly 10 years to rebuild the confidence of foreign tourists in the state’s law and order system,” Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka stated.

Recalling the incident, Ashoka had said: “The gang rape of an Israeli female tourist in Hampi occurred on March 6 last year. She was part of a group of five tourists who were listening to music and enjoying the moonlight by the Tungabhadra River. Three accused individuals attacked one of the tourists from Odisha, causing a head injury.

“They pushed him into the river, and due to his injury, he was unable to swim back. The other two tourists, despite being pushed into the river, managed to escape. Later, the Israeli woman and an Indian homestay owner were sexually assaulted.”

Ashoka criticised the Congress government, stating that it was shifting blame onto homestays instead of addressing the law and order situation.

–IANS

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