News Karnataka Exclusive, Mangaluru: The District Sessions Court has sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl at a tile factory in Ulayibettu in 2021. The verdict, delivered by Judge Manu, also includes a ₹5 lakh compensation to the victim’s family.
The convicted men, identified as Jay Singh, Mukesh Singh, and Manish Tirkey, were laborers at the factory. Police Inspector Johnson D’Souza led the investigation, culminating in a detailed chargesheet. This brutal crime, committed on November 21, 2021, deeply shocked the community and led to widespread calls for justice.
The incident began when the girl went out to play with her siblings after lunch but did not return home. Her parents, in a desperate search, found her body in a factory drain around 6 p.m. that evening. The Mangaluru Rural Police quickly registered a case under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Following the crime’s severity, four investigation teams were formed. CCTV footage, along with physical evidence and eyewitness accounts, helped unravel the case. The investigation revealed that the accused had previously lured the child with treats and, on that day, forcibly took her to a secluded room where they assaulted her. Tragically, to silence her cries, they ended her life and disposed of her body in a drain nearby.
