A special POCSO court in Mysuru has sentenced a 31-year-old man to death for the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl who had come to the city with her family to sell balloons during Dasara, according to a report by Prajavani. The court also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh and directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide ₹13.50 lakh in compensation to the child’s family.
The convicted man, identified as Karthik, a resident of Siddalingapura, was sentenced by POCSO special court judge Anand P. Hogade on Saturday. The case relates to the death of the child, whose family had travelled from north Karnataka and built a temporary shelter near the Nagswamy Temple at Ittige Gudu while selling balloons during the festival.
The girl’s body was found in a drain beside the shelter in the early hours of October 9, 2025. A case was registered at the Nazarbad police station on the basis of a complaint filed by the child’s mother. The investigation focused on the movements of the accused captured on CCTV cameras, after which police arrested Karthik, the report said.
Police later took the accused to Siddalingapura as part of the investigation. While returning, he allegedly attempted to escape near Metagalli, and officers shot him in the right leg before taking him into custody, according to the source report. The police subsequently filed a charge sheet after completing the investigation.
The court’s finding of guilt relied on forensic and medical evidence cited during the proceedings. This included the post-mortem examination report prepared by the forensic medicine department of Mysuru Medical College, DNA testing conducted at the State Forensic Science Laboratory in Bengaluru and the FSL report. The court concluded that the offence had been established and imposed the death sentence.
The case also highlights the circumstances in which families who travel seasonally for informal work occupy temporary spaces around major public events. The family had been living in a makeshift shelter near a religious site while seeking income from Dasara visitors. The available report does not provide further details about the permissions, safety arrangements or local support available to such temporary workers.
The compensation order was issued to the District Legal Services Authority for the child’s family. Government public prosecutor K.B. Jayanthi represented the state, while principal legal services defence counsel Machangada Naveen represented the accused, the report said. The supplied account does not provide details of any subsequent legal challenge or the next procedural step following the sentencing order.
