Karnataka High Court Confirms Death Penalty for Three Convicts in Minor Girl Gang Rape and Murder Case

The Karnataka High Court upheld a trial court’s 2024 order awarding the death penalty to three men convicted for the gang rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl, terming the crime “barbaric” and a “rarest of rare” case.

The Court held that the brutality of the offence, the age and vulnerability of the victim, and the manner in which the crime was executed outweighed any mitigating factors such as the age of the accused.

Observing that a lesser sentence would undermine societal conscience and justice, the Court dismissed the convicts’ appeals and confirmed the death sentence.

[The Registrar General v. Jayban Adivasi @ Jay Singh & Ors.]