Karnataka HC Upholds Death Sentence of Three for Rape, Murder of Minor Girl

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has upheld the death sentence awarded to three convicts for the rape and murder of a minor girl. A Division Bench headed by Justice H.P. Sandesh confirmed the capital punishment imposed by the Additional District and Sessions Court (POCSO) in Dakshina Kannada district.

The verdict came while hearing a Criminal Reference Application filed by the state government seeking confirmation of the lower court’s order.

The court also dismissed the criminal appeals filed by the convicts—Jayaban Adivasi alias Jayasingh and Mukesh Singh from Madhya Pradesh, and Manish Tirki and Sita Ranthu Lohar from Jharkhand—who had sought the cancellation of the death penalty.

In its order, the Bench observed that reducing the punishment for such heinous crimes would send a wrong message to society and encourage similar atrocities. “The convicts lured the seven-year-and-seven-month-old victim by offering her snacks.

They satisfied their lust one after the other and later strangled her to death. The body was then thrown into a drain to destroy evidence,” the court noted. The judges further stated that this gruesome incident had not only shocked the judiciary but had also shaken the conscience of the entire society. The crime was categorized as “rarest of the rare,” warranting no leniency.

Background of the Case

The convicts were working as laborers at a tiles factory near Vamanjoor in Mangaluru. On November 21, 2021, they gained the trust of a colleague’s daughter by promising her snacks and took her to their room.

While one accused committed unnatural sexual acts, the others raped the child. They subsequently strangulated her and disposed of her body in a drain.

Following the discovery of the body, the victim’s mother filed a police complaint. After the trial, the Sessions Court had awarded the death penalty to the accused along with a fine of ₹40,000 each. The High Court’s recent order has now firmly validated this punishment, ensuring justice for the minor victim.

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