Bhubaneswar, Feb. 17 -- In a major development, the Koppal Sessions Court in Karnataka on Tuesday sentenced three men to death in connection with the Hampi gang rape and murder case involving an Odia tourist.

The court termed the crime as falling under the "rarest of rare" category while delivering its verdict.

The three convicts, Mallesh alias Handimalla, Sai, and Sharanappa, were found guilty of gang raping two women and murdering a male tourist from Odisha during the incident. The court held them responsible for the brutal assault and subsequent killing.

The crime occurred on March 6, 2025, when a group of five people, including a female tourist from Israel and a local homestay owner, had gone near the Tungabhadra canal close to Ham...