A Mysuru court on Saturday sentenced a 32-year-old man to death for the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl during the city’s Dasara festivities in October 2025.
The Nazarbad police registered a case and launched an investigation. The girl had come to Mysuru from Kalaburagi with her family to sell balloons during the festival. The family was staying in a tent near the exhibition grounds when the incident took place. The crime triggered widespread outrage across Karnataka. Former Mysuru MP Pratap Simha welcomed the verdict and expressed his appreciation for the police and the judiciary.
They arrested Karthik within 24 hours of the incident.
He said the incident had caused deep distress among residents and brought shame to the city.
The investigation was subsequently completed, and a chargesheet was filed before the court within three months.
He sexually assaulted and murdered her before leaving her body and fleeing the scene. On October 9, 2025, Karthik allegedly abducted the girl while she was sleeping with her family at their temporary shelter, according to the case details.
The FTSC-1 court examined the evidence and found the accused guilty before imposing the death penalty. The case was heard over several months, with the prosecution relying on forensic and scientific evidence to support its arguments.
