A sessions court in Karnataka’s Koppal district sentenced three men—Mallesh alias Handi Malla, Sharanabasava, and Chaitanya Sai—to death on February 16, 2026, for the gang rape of an Israeli tourist and a local homestay owner, and the murder of an Odia youth Bibhas Nayak. The crime took place on March 6, 2025, near Sanapur by the Tungabhadra canal in Gangavathi taluk, close to Hampi. After a money dispute during a stargazing outing, the accused pushed three male tourists into the canal, stoned them to prevent escape (killing Bibhas from Odisha), robbed the group, and gang-raped the two women.
Judge Sadananda Nagappa Naik awarded the death penalty under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, terming it the “rarest of rare” case due to the premeditated nature of the offences, which included murder, gang rape, attempt to murder, robbery, and extortion. The convicts, found guilty on February 7, also received life imprisonment (till death) for the rape charges. They have the right to appeal in a higher court.
