Karnataka Court Sentences Three To Death In Israeli Tourist e-case
According to the prosecution, the heinous crime took place near Sanapur on March 6, 2025. The Israeli-origin woman was subjected to inhuman sexual assault. The incident had made international headlines and cast a shadow over the district's tourism
Koppal: The First Additional District and Sessions Court, Koppal sitting in Gangavathi on Monday sentenced three men to death for the gang rape of two woman including a foreign national and also the murder of an Odisha native in Sanapur of Koppal district.
The incident occurred last year and had attracted strong criticism.
The convicted men are Mallesh alias Handi Malla (22), Sai alias Chaitanya Sai (21), and Sharanappa alias Sharanbasavaraj (27).
On February 6 the Court headed by Sadananda Nagappa Naik convicted the three. The quantum of punishment was reserved for today.
Mallesh alias Handi Malla alias Mallayya (Accused No.1), Sai alias Chaitannay Sai alias Saikumar (Accused No.2), and Sharanappa alias Sharanabasavaraj alias Sharana (Accused No.3) were convicted by the court for committing murder of Bibash, a tourist of Odisha origin, attempting to murder two persons, robbing an Indian woman, and causing grievous injuries. While Accused No 1 and Accused No 2 were held guilty of gang-raping the Indian woman, Accused No 2 and Accused No 3 were held guilty of gang-raping an Israeli woman.
The crime occurred around 10.30 pm on March 6 near Sanapur Lake, when a homestay owner took four guests — two foreigners, including a woman, and two Indian tourists — to the banks of the Tungabhadra canal for stargazing.
Three men who arrived on a motorcycle first asked where they could get petrol and then demanded money before turning violent, assaulting the group, pushing three men into the canal, and raping the homestay owner and an Israeli woman tourist.
One of the men, Bibash who was pushed to the canal died in the incident.
The special teams formed by the Koppal SP had arrested two accused Mallesh and Sai within 48 hours and Sharanappa was arrested later from Chennai Railway station.
