A 32-year-old man was sentenced to death for raping and murdering a nine-year-old child in 2025 (Representative Image)A special court in Mysuru on Saturday sentenced 32-year-old Karthik to death for the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl who had come to the city with her family during the Dasara festival in 2025. The court had earlier convicted him in the case on October 15.Special Judge Anand P Hogade of the Fast Track Special Court-I, which hears cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, delivered the verdict. Special Public Prosecutor K B Jayanthi represented the state.Relying on witness testimony, documentary evidence and forensic evidence, the prosecution argued that the case fell under the “rarest of rare” category and sought the death penalty. The chargesheet cited 83 witnesses.The offence took place in the early hours of October 9, 2025. The girl was sleeping with her family in a makeshift shelter near Doddakere Maidan, close to Mysuru Palace and the Dasara Exhibition Grounds. The family had travelled from Kalaburagi to sell balloons, toys and other items during the festival.According to the prosecution, Karthik abducted the child from the shelter, sexually assaulted and murdered her, and fled. In the morning, her father found her missing and later discovered her body near the shelter.The Nazarbad police registered a case and arrested Karthik in Kollegal, in Chamarajanagar district, within 24 hours. Police said he tried to escape while being taken for further questioning and was shot in the leg. Two police personnel were reportedly injured.A resident of Siddalingapura on the outskirts of Mysuru, Karthik worked as a cleaner on a private bus on the Mysuru-Kollegal route. He had a prior conviction in a 2019 case involving sexual harassment and an attempt to murder a woman in Kollegal. He was sentenced to four years in prison but later received bail after he challenged the conviction in the High Court.Story continues below this adThe case has triggered widespread outrage across Karnataka and renewed calls for swift action in cases of sexual offences against children.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:Bangalore