Gangavathi / Bengaluru: In what is being described as a historic verdict, the I Additional District and Sessions Court at Gangavathi has sentenced three convicts to death in the March 6, 2025 case involving the gang rape of an Israeli woman and a Tamil Nadu–based homestay owner, along with the murder of Odisha tourist Bibhash Kumar Nayak near Sanapur Lake in Koppal district.
The judgment was delivered by Judge Sadananda Nagappa Nayak, who held the three accused guilty after examining witness testimonies and documentary evidence. The sentencing order was pronounced on February 16, 2026.
The convicted persons have been identified as Mallesh alias Handimalla, son of Ayyappa alias Dasappa; Sai alias Chethan Sai, son of Kameshwara; and Sharanappa alias Sharanabasavaraj, son of Balappa Nayak, all residents of Sainagar, Gangavathi.
The crime had taken place near the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal under Gangavathi Rural Police limits, when a group that included an Israeli tourist, a homestay owner from Tamil Nadu, Odisha tourist Bibhash Kumar Nayak, and another foreign national were attacked while stargazing near Sanapur Lake. During the assault, Bibhash Kumar Nayak was pushed into the water-filled canal and attacked with stones, resulting in his death. Another tourist sustained grievous injuries. The court found that the accused committed gang rape on the Israeli woman and the homestay owner and later fled with stolen valuables.
The case had triggered nationwide outrage and raised serious concerns over tourist safety in the Anjanadri–Sanapur region, a destination that attracts large numbers of foreign visitors. The incident was widely seen as a blot on the image of Koppal district.
A case was registered at Gangavathi Rural Police Station. The investigation was conducted by Police Inspectors Somasekhar Juttal and Rangappa H. Doddmani, who later filed the charge sheet before the court.
Legal proceedings moved swiftly, and within approximately nine months of the crime, the court convicted the accused and subsequently awarded capital punishment along with multiple life sentences under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Public Prosecutor Nagalakshmi S. led the prosecution on behalf of the State. Police personnel Maruti HC-55 and Syed Ghouse PC-153 assisted during investigation, while Manjunath HC-13 and Vishwanath PC-219 ensured the presence of witnesses during trial proceedings. Following the verdict, the judgment has been widely welcomed, with many describing it as a strong message against crimes targeting tourists and women.
Nagalakshmi stated that the conviction reflects the strength of evidence placed before the court and the coordinated efforts of the investigation and prosecution teams. Further legal procedures will follow as per law.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: Sanapur Tourist Horror Case: ಇಸ್ರೇಲ್ ಮಹಿಳೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಹೋಂಸ್ಟೇ ಮಾಲಕಿಯ ಮೇಲಿನ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರವಾಸಿಗನ ಕೊಲೆ ಪ್ರಕರಣ: ಮೂವರಿಗೆ ಮರಣದಂಡನೆ
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