A Belagavi court, which found a 28-year-old man guilty of rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl from a village in the district, has sentenced him to death.On Friday, Judge C.M. Pushpalatha of the Belagavi District PoCSO Act Court held Bharatesh Ravasabha Mirji of Paramanandwadi in Raibag taluk guilty of rape and murder committed in 2019.The offender took the victim home as she was returning from a shop and raped her. He then strangled her and dropped her body in a well. The police found vital clue with the help of Suja, a sniffer dog, which traced the girl’s steps from the shop to the crime spot and the well.Published - September 26, 2025 11:16 pm IST