Karnataka court sentences Praveen to life for 2018 rape and murder of girlfriend
Synopsis
Seven years after a woman was lured, raped, and strangled near Kalkere village in Hassan, Karnataka, the 3rd Additional Sessions Court has sentenced the convict Praveen to life imprisonment. A second accused, Thammanna, received two years for destroying evidence — a verdict that reflects the judiciary's slow but eventual reach in gender-based violence cases.
Key Takeaways
The 3rd Additional Sessions Court, Hassan sentenced Praveen to life imprisonment on 30 April 2025 for rape and murder.
The crime occurred on 22 April 2018 near Kalkere village, Hassan taluk , when the victim visited Praveen to celebrate his birthday.
Praveen allegedly lured the victim under the pretence of love, then raped and strangled her, according to the prosecution.
Second accused Thammanna was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment for destruction of evidence.
Hassan rural police registered the case, investigated, and filed a charge sheet that led to the prolonged trial and eventual conviction.
A court in Hassan, Karnataka, on Thursday, 30 April 2025, sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping and murdering his girlfriend in a case that dates back to April 2018. The verdict was delivered by the 3rd Additional Sessions Court in Hassan, bringing closure to a case that had been under trial for several years.
What the Court Found
The court convicted the accused, Praveen, a resident of Hadlagere, for sexually assaulting and killing his girlfriend, who had visited him to celebrate his birthday. The prosecution argued that Praveen lured the victim by feigning romantic interest before committing the crime.
The incident reportedly took place on 22 April 2018, near Kalkere village in Hassan taluk. According to the prosecution, Praveen allegedly raped the victim and subsequently strangled her to death.
Second Accused Also Convicted
In addition to Praveen's life sentence, the court sentenced a second accused, Thammanna, to two years of rigorous imprisonment for the destruction of evidence. The dual conviction underscores the court's assessment that the cover-up was a deliberate and coordinated act.
How the Case Unfolded
Following the incident, the Hassan rural police registered a case, conducted a detailed investigation, and filed a charge sheet before the court. After a prolonged trial spanning several years, the court found both accused guilty on the respective charges framed against them.
Background: A Pattern of Delayed Justice in Karnataka
This verdict comes amid a broader pattern of high-profile criminal convictions in Karnataka courts. Notably, in August 2025, the 4th Additional District and Sessions Court at Bhadravathi sentenced two individuals — including a woman — to death, and a third to seven years in prison, in connection with the 2016 murder of a government schoolteacher in Bhadravathi.
In that case, the convicts were identified as Lakshmi, 29, her companion Krishnamurthy alias Kitti, 30, and Shivaraju alias Shivu, 32 — all residents of NTB Road, Jannapura, Bhadravathi. According to Bhadravathi police, Lakshmi, a government school teacher, had married Imtiyaz Ahmed at Kalaburagi in 2011. On 7 July 2016, she allegedly killed her husband by striking him with an iron rod, with Krishnamurthy and Shivaraju assisting in disposing of the body in a canal.
The Hassan verdict is expected to be seen as a reaffirmation of the judiciary's commitment to delivering justice in gender-based violence cases, even when trials stretch over years.
Point of View
Which is itself a systemic indictment. Gender-based violence cases in India routinely take half a decade or more to reach conviction, a timeline that deters reporting and erodes survivor confidence in the system. The conviction of a second accused for evidence destruction is a rare and significant detail: it signals that courts are increasingly willing to hold the ecosystem of a crime accountable, not just the primary perpetrator. Whether this translates into faster trials and stronger deterrence remains the harder, unanswered question.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Praveen and what was he convicted of?
Praveen is a resident of Hadlagere in Hassan, Karnataka, convicted by the 3rd Additional Sessions Court for raping and murdering his girlfriend on 22 April 2018. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment after a detailed trial.
What was the sentence given to the second accused Thammanna?
Thammanna, the second accused in the case, was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment for destroying evidence related to the crime.
Where and when did the crime take place?
The crime took place on 22 April 2018 near Kalkere village in Hassan taluk, Karnataka. The victim had visited the accused to celebrate his birthday when the assault and murder allegedly occurred.
How long did the trial take in the Hassan rape-murder case?
The trial spanned approximately seven years, from the registration of the case by Hassan rural police following the April 2018 incident to the court's verdict on 30 April 2025.
Are there other recent similar convictions in Karnataka?
Yes. In August 2025, the 4th Additional District and Sessions Court at Bhadravathi sentenced two people to death and a third to seven years in prison for the 2016 murder of a government schoolteacher, indicating a broader trend of courts delivering verdicts in long-pending violent crime cases in Karnataka.
