The First Additional District and Sessions Court in Gangavati, Karnataka, has sentenced three men to death for the gang-rape of an Israeli tourist, an Indian woman, and the killing of a male tourist near Sanapura Lake. The court deemed the crime as falling under the “rarest of rare” category, leading to the capital punishment for the convicts Mallesh alias Handi Mallesh, Sai, and Sharanappa. This verdict comes within 11 months of the incident that occurred near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi.
The incident, which took place on March 6, 2025, near Sanapura Lake, saw a decline in foreign tourist visits to Hampi and surrounding areas. The victims, in a state of shock, reported the incident to the police station. The accused, after a quarrel over money, allegedly sexually assaulted the women and pushed the male tourists into the canal, resulting in one death. The case sparked national outrage and impacted the tourism sector in the region significantly.
Following the incident, the Gangavati Rural Police Station investigated the case, leading to the arrest of the three accused individuals. The prosecution revealed that the accused sexually assaulted the Indian homestay owner and the Israeli tourist. The Karnataka BJP criticized the Congress-led government for the lawlessness that allowed such a heinous crime to occur in a renowned tourist destination like Hampi. Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka highlighted the need to rebuild trust in the state’s law and order system after the incident.
