Bengaluru, October 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to re-investigate the 2012 rape and murder of Soujanya in Karnataka’s Dharmasthala has sought records, evidence and other case material from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), officials said.
The SIT has written to both agencies seeking all available documents and information related to their earlier investigations as it begins examining the case afresh.
The development follows the Supreme Court’s September 21 order directing a fresh investigation into the case and asking the Karnataka government to constitute a new five-member SIT. The court directed the team to complete the investigation within three months.
The case dates back to October 2012, when 17-year-old Soujanya went missing while returning home from college in Dharmasthala. Her body was found the following morning in a nearby forested area.
The case was initially investigated by the local police before being taken over by the Karnataka CID in 2013 and subsequently transferred to the CBI. The lone accused, Santhosh Rao, was acquitted by a special CBI court in June 2023 after it found insufficient evidence linking him to the crime.
The Supreme Court subsequently ordered a fresh probe, holding that the Karnataka High Court had erred in concluding that useful evidence could no longer be recovered. The apex court referred to forensic evidence indicating that DNA from hair strands found on the victim’s clothes could potentially still be compared with samples from suspects.
The newly constituted SIT formally began its probe on Thursday, with SIT chief IGP N. Shashikumar and other officers reaching Mangaluru and meeting Police Commissioner C.H. Sudheer Kumar Reddy. The team is also expected to review the earlier investigations and evidence collected by the CID and CBI.
The SIT comprises Shashikumar, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Intelligence SP Nisha James, CID SP Lokesh Jagalsar and Bengaluru Rural ASP Venkatesh Prasanna. The Supreme Court had directed that officers involved in the earlier investigations should not be part of the new team.
Prasanna has sought to be relieved from the SIT following objections reportedly raised by some activists and members of Soujanya’s family over his inclusion.
Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has said the government would consider concerns raised by the family and the public and would act in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions.
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