Koppal: The Gangavathi Additional District and Sessions Court in Koppal has sentenced three men to death for the murder of a tourist from Odisha and the gang-rape of two women, including an Israeli national.
The judgment comes just 11 months after the crime that shocked the tourist belt near Sanapura and Anegondi.
A Night of Horror Near the Canal
The incident occurred on the night of March 6, 2025, when five travellers staying at a homestay in Anegondi stepped out for a post-dinner walk near the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal. The group had gathered by the canal to relax when they were allegedly attacked by three local men identified as Mallesh alias Handimalla, Sai and Sharanappa.
According to the prosecution, the accused, allegedly under the influence of alcohol and with the intent to rob, initiated a violent assault on the group. The three male tourists were beaten and pushed into the canal waters. While they struggled to survive, the attackers sexually assaulted the two women in the group — one from Israel and another from India.
During the assault, Bibasha, a young tourist from Odisha, suffered a severe head injury and drowned. His body was recovered the following day. Two other survivors — Daniel from Germany and Pankaj from Maharashtra — sustained serious injuries but managed to escape.
Following the investigation, police filed a chargesheet and the case was fast-tracked. Earlier this week, the Gangavathi Additional District and Sessions Court found all three accused guilty of murder, gang-rape and related offences.
In a packed courtroom, the judge awarded the maximum penalty — death by hanging — underscoring the gravity and brutality of the crime.
The verdict is being viewed as a significant example of expedited justice in a case that had drawn national and international attention.
