Death Sentence Handed to Kartik for Rape and Murder of Young Girl in Mysore

Mysore’s fast‑track bench imposed the ultimate punishment—death—on Kartik after he was found guilty of raping and murdering a nine‑year‑old girl during the Dussehra celebrations. The victim, traveling with her parents to sell balloons, had set up a temporary shelter close to the historic Mysore Palace.

According to the trial’s evidence, the accused lured the sleeping child out of the tent, assaulted her, and subsequently inflicted nineteen knife wounds that proved fatal. The forensic report corroborated the severity of the injuries.

The investigation, spearheaded by the district police, initially stumbled due to a lack of concrete leads. A pivotal moment arrived when CCTV footage from a nearby alley displayed a man descending from an auto‑rickshaw and behaving suspiciously. This clip was instrumental in pinpointing Kartik’s identity and securing his arrest in his native village of Siddhalingpura, Sringeri taluk.

Further scrutiny revealed that Kartik had earlier been convicted for an attempted rape, serving two years before his release on bail. Post‑release, he reportedly turned to heavy drinking and vanished from his family’s whereabouts. While detained, he allegedly tried to assault police personnel and escape, prompting officers to fire a shot that injured his leg. The prosecution demanded the maximum penalty, and the court’s decision to award a death sentence has been described as a decisive move toward delivering justice for the horrendous crime.