Karnataka court awards death penalty: 3 sentenced for gang-raping Israeli tourist, murdering youth in Koppal

NEW DELHI: A civil court in Karnataka on Monday sentenced three men to death for sexually assaulting an Israeli tourist and murdering a youth in Koppal district last year.The Gangavathi Civil Court pronounced the quantum of punishment, awarding capital punishment to the convict: Mallesh alias Handi Malla, Sharanabasava and Chaitanya Sai. The court had found them guilty on February 7 and had reserved its order on sentencing for February 16.According to the prosecution, the crime took place near Sanapur on March 6 last year and had drawn international attention, casting a shadow over tourism in the region.Public Prosecutor Nagalakshmi said that the incident occurred when a homestay owner took a group of tourists: Pankaj from Maharashtra, Bibhas from Odisha, Daniel from the United States, and an Israeli woman, for stargazing near the Tungabhadra canal under the limits of the Gangavathi rural police station at around 10.30 pm.At that time, the three accused allegedly arrived on a motorcycle and picked up a fight over a financial dispute.“With an intention to rape these women, the convicts pushed the three men into the canal. To ensure that they do not come out, they threw stones on them. Later, they gang raped the home-stay owner and the Israeli national,” Nagalakshmi told reporters.She said Bibhas Kumar died due to drowning in the canal. “Pankaj did not know how to swim but Daniel saved him,” she added.After the assault, the accused allegedly fled the spot with mobile phones, cash and a camera belonging to the victims.“It was a case of gang rape, murder, attempt to murder, robbery and extortion. Hence the Judge Sadananda Nagappa Naik under section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita gave them capital punishment. For the gang rape, the court ordered imprisonment till their last breath,” the public prosecutor said.She added that the convicts have the right to appeal against the sentence in a higher court.