Overview
- On February 16, the First Additional District and Sessions Court in Gangavathi awarded the death penalty to Mallesh alias Handimalla, Sai alias Chaitanya Sai, and Sharanappa alias Sharanabasavaraj for murder, gang rape, and related offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
- Sentencing followed February 6 convictions in the March 6, 2025 attack near Sanapur by the Tungabhadra canal, with the court noting the extreme brutality and the victims’ vulnerability in a high-profile tourist zone.
- Prosecutors said the assailants demanded money, pushed three male tourists into the canal while throwing stones, raped a 27-year-old Israeli visitor and a 29-year-old homestay owner, and robbed the group; Odisha tourist Bibhash Kumar Nayak drowned while two others reached safety.
- The court considered social background, jail conduct, and psychiatric reports before deciding punishment; police had formed multiple teams, arresting two accused within 48 hours and the third within a week, and cited extensive witness and forensic evidence.
- The capital sentences were delivered roughly 11 months after the crime and now require Karnataka High Court confirmation, with further appeals possible; authorities reported increased patrols in the North Hampi–Sanapur area after the incident and a downturn in foreign tourist footfall.