Indian Court Hands Down Death Sentences for Hampi Attack
A district court in India has delivered death sentences to three men convicted of a brutal attack near the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi. The assailants were found guilty of raping two women and causing the death of a man during an assault on a group of five individuals in March 2025.
Details of the Horrific Incident
According to media reports, the victims were stargazing in a village in southern India when three men approached them demanding money. The group included two Indian nationals from Maharashtra and Odisha, an American tourist, an Israeli tourist, and a local woman from Koppal who was hosting the visitors.
The attackers proceeded to rape the Israeli tourist and her homestay host before pushing the three male members of the group into a nearby canal. Two of the men managed to swim to safety, but Bhibas Nayak, a 26-year-old from Odisha, tragically drowned.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
On Monday, District Judge Sadananda Nagappa Naik sentenced the three convicts—identified as Mallesh alias Handimalla, Sai, and Sharanappa—to death for the murder charge. The judge described the crime as falling under 'the rarest of rare category', justifying the capital punishment under section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
In addition to the death penalty, the court ordered imprisonment until their last breath for the gang rape offences. The public prosecutor confirmed that the sentencing must be ratified by the Karnataka state's high court and can still be appealed.
Victim Accounts and Aftermath
The local woman, who survived the attack, provided a harrowing account to Indian media. 'I was bleeding heavily. Two of the attackers joined forces and dragged me to the side of the canal. One of them strangled me and removed my clothes. One after another, they beat me and raped me,' she stated.
She added that the Israeli woman was dragged away by one of the men and raped separately. The assailants fled on a motorcycle when the victims screamed and cried.
The incident caused widespread panic, with hundreds of holidaymakers fleeing the UNESCO site in northern Karnataka. Police conducted extensive investigations, searching for the male travelers pushed into the canal.
Broader Context of Violence in India
This case has once again highlighted the chronic issue of violence against women in India, the world's most populous country. Official data from 2023 recorded 29,670 reported rapes, underscoring the scale of the problem.
India imposes the death penalty by hanging, although executions are rare. The last executions occurred in March 2020, when four men convicted of the 2012 gang rape and murder of a woman on a Delhi bus were hanged—a case that sparked massive nationwide protests.
The Hampi attack serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing challenges in combating sexual violence and ensuring justice for victims in the country.
