The First Additional District and Sessions Court at Gangavathi in Koppal district convicted all three accused in the Hampi gang rape and murder case on Friday. The crime involved sexual assault on two women, one being a foreign tourist, and the killing of an Indian male tourist near the UNESCO World Heritage Site in March 2025. The court found Mallesh alias Handi Malla alias Mallayya (22), Sai alias Chaitannay Sai alias Saikumar (21), and Sharanappa alias Sharanabasavaraj (27) guilty of multiple serious crimes. These include murder, gang rape, rape, attempt to murder, and robbery under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023. The accused were convicted for the murder of Bibhas Kumar Nayak, an Odisha tourist, under Section 103(1) of the BNS, matching Section 302 of the IPC, along with common intention clauses. They were also found guilty of attempting to murder two other male tourists, from Maharashtra and the U.S., and of robbery involving the Indian woman victim. Mallesh and Chaitannay Sai were convicted for gang rape and rape of the Indian woman. Chaitannay Sai and Sharanappa were convicted for gang rape and rape of the Israeli woman. These convictions relate to stringent rape and sexual assault laws under the BNS, reflecting the brutality of the case. The court postponed the sentencing to February 16, 2026, after hearing the convicts on punishment. The Public Prosecutor called the case “rarest of rare” due to the combination of murder, multiple rapes, and attempted murder. This horrific incident happened on March 6, 2025, near the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal in Sanapura close to Hampi. It sparked nationwide anger and serious concerns over tourist safety in heritage areas.