Bengaluru, Feb 17: A court in Karnataka sentenced three men to death for the gangrape of an Israeli tourist and a homestay owner, and the murder of a male visitor from Odisha in 2025.

The First Additional District and Sessions Court in Gangavathi had, on February 6, convicted the trio. Pronouncing the sentence on Monday, Judge Sadananda Nagappa Naik awarded capital punishment to the three accused — Mallesh alias Handimall, Sai and Sharanappa.

Crime Near Hampi Shocked Nation
The incident occurred on the night of March 6, 2025, near Sanapur Lake, about four kilometres from Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a major international tourist destination in Karnataka.

According to the complaint filed by the 29-year-old homestay owner, a group comprising a 27-year-old Israeli woman and three male tourists from the United States, Odisha and Maharashtra had gone stargazing near the Tungabhadra canal after dinner. They were reportedly playing the guitar and listening to music when three men arrived on a motorcycle.

The accused allegedly first asked for directions to a petrol pump and then demanded money. When the group refused, the attackers assaulted them and pushed the three male tourists into the canal.

While the men struggled in the water, two of the accused raped the homestay owner, and another sexually assaulted the Israeli tourist. The assailants allegedly looted mobile phones and cash before fleeing the scene.

Also Read: Probe Deepens as Week-Old Baby Found Outside POCSO Accused’s House in Odisha's Jajpur

Tourist Drowned; Police Action Followed
Two of the male tourists managed to swim to safety and were hospitalised. However, Bibhas Nayak from Odisha's Kandhamal district drowned, and his body was recovered the following morning. This led to the addition of murder charges to the case.

The brutality of the crime, involving foreign nationals at a globally known heritage site, triggered widespread outrage and renewed debate over tourist safety in the region.

Police launched a manhunt immediately after the incident, and the three accused were arrested within days.

Nearly eleven months after the crime, the court imposed the death penalty on all three convicts, bringing legal closure to one of the most shocking cases reported from the region in recent years.