Mysuru court sentences man to death for rape and murder of 9-year-old girl

A fast-track court in Mysuru, Karnataka, has sentenced a man named Karthik to death for the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl. The victim had traveled to Mysuru with her family to sell balloons during the Dasara festival last year.

Judge Anil P. Wagade delivered the verdict following the defendant's conviction the previous day. The investigation revealed that the accused took the child from her family's temporary tent near the Mysuru Palace in the early morning hours. The victim's body showed 19 knife wounds.

Police identified the suspect through CCTV footage showing him acting suspiciously near an auto-rickshaw. Karthik, a resident of Siddlingapura village in Mandya district, had a prior criminal record involving an attempted rape. During his arrest and subsequent detention, the accused reportedly attempted to attack police officers and flee, resulting in a police discharge of a firearm that injured his leg.