Accused in rape and murder of 10-year-old balloon seller shot at in Mysuru while attempting to flee

MYSURU: The city police shot at the accused in the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl after he attempted to escape while being taken for a medical examination after he was arrested from Kollegal, on Friday.

The spot where the child’s body was found.

A 10-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Mysuru. The incident occurred near the palace grounds on the night of the Dasara festival. The victim belonged to a tribal community from Kalaburagi and had come to Mysuru for selling balloons during the Dasara exhibition. Her body was found buried a little distance from the tent where the family was staying.

The police swiftly formed a special team to investigate the case and apprehended the accused, identified as Karthik, within hours. CCTV footage played a crucial role in tracing the suspect and the police had spotted him boarding a bus to Kollegal. A police team arrested him from Kollegal and brought him to Mysuru on Thursday night. When the police were taking Karthik for a medical examination on Friday, he attempted to escape and was shot in the leg.

ಮೈಸೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಪ್ರಾಪ್ತ ಬಾಲಕಿಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಅ*ತ್ಯಾಚಾರ ಹಾಗೂ ಕೊ*ಲೆ ಎಸಗಿರುವ ಅಮಾನವೀಯ ಘಟನೆಯ ಕುರಿತು ಪತ್ರಿಕಾಗೋಷ್ಠಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಂಚಿಕೊಂಡ ನನ್ನ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳು.

My thoughts shared during a press conference regarding the inhumane incident of r*ape and mu*rder of a minor girl in Mysuru. Such a brutal and… pic.twitter.com/GzFf45Pxu6

— Yaduveer Wadiyar (@yaduveerwadiyar) October 10, 2025

Karthik had a history of criminal behavior and had been released on bail just three months earlier after serving a three-year sentence for a previous rape case. The incident has sparked widespread outrage with Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Wadiyar and former MP Pratap Simha, criticizing the government for alleged incompetence.

ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮೂಗಿನ ಕೆಳಗಿರುವ ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಹೃದಯ ಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ 9 ವರ್ಷದ ಬಾಲಕಿಯ ಅತ್ಯಾಚಾರ, ಕೊಲೆ ನಡೆದಿದ್ದರೂ ಎಲ್ಲಿದ್ದೀರಿ ಸಿಎಂ ಸಿದ್ದರಾಮಯ್ಯನವರೇ? ಸಮಾಜವಾದಿ ಹಿನ್ನಲೆಯಿಂದ ಬಂದ ನೀವು ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ಹೋದ ಮೇಲೆ ಸಂವೇದನೆಯನ್ನೇ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡಿರಾ ಸರ್? pic.twitter.com/1XXuFpPCOo

— Prathap Simha (@mepratap) October 10, 2025

The opposition is demanding action against the authorities, claiming that the administration in Mysuru has failed to maintain law and order. Despite the controversy, the police have received praise for their prompt action in apprehending the suspect.

Police Commissioner Seema Latkar said on Friday, “The body of the minor girl, who was raped and murdered, was found near Jwalamukhi Circle close to the Exhibition Grounds in Nazarbad police limits. The police have arrested the accused under the POCSO Act. The accused had claimed to be a resident of Siddalingapura, but did not provide any proof. He tried to attack the police with a glass bottle when the police fired a warning shot in the air and later shot him in the leg. Two policemen were also injured”.

“The accused Karthik already faces two cases at Metagalli and in Kollegal. He was acquitted in one case and is out on bail in the Kollegal case. He works as a cleaner with private buses. He was identified based on technical evidence”, the police commissioner added.