Hampi rape case: Co-traveller of victims found dead in canal

Hampi police recover body of missing Odisha youth in rape incident near UNESCO heritage town.

The Hampi police have recovered the body of a youth hailing from Odisha who had been missing since the incident of rape of two women, an Israeli national and the owner of a home stay, near the UNESCO heritage town.

The youth was among the three men who were co-travellers with the two victims at the time of the incident and had been attacked and pushed into a nearby canal.

Two women — a 27-year-old traveller from Israel and a 29-year-old homestay owner from Anegundi in Koppal district — were allegedly raped by three men late on Thursday (March 6, 2025) when the victims were by the side of a canal after dinner.

Three male travellers who were with them — from the United States, Odisha, and Maharashtra — were attacked and pushed into a canal. The man from Odisha (identified as Bibash) had since been missing, while the other two had managed to swim to safety.

According to the complaint lodged at Gangavati Rural police station on Friday (March 7, 2025) morning by the home stay owner, the incident occurred when she and her four guests were out stargazing at about 10.30 p.m. after dinner on the bank of Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal near the Durgamma Temple of Sanapur.

The three men attackers had arrived on a motorcycle and enquired about where they could get petrol. Later, one of them demanded ₹100 from the tourists and, on refusal, started arguing and attacking the tourists.

The complainant said that the three male tourists were pushed into the canal before she and the Israeli tourist were hit and raped. After the crime, the accused fled on their motorcycle.