The Supreme Court has ordered a fresh investigation into the 2012 rape and murder of 17-year-old Sowjanya near Dharmasthala, directing a new team to complete the probe within three months
The Supreme Court has ordered a fresh investigation into the 2012 Sowjanya rape and murder case near Dharmasthala. The court directed that officers involved in earlier investigations be excluded from the new probe and that a report be submitted within three months.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ordered a fresh investigation into the 2012 rape and murder of 17-year-old Sowjanya near Dharmasthala in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district. The court has directed a new investigation team to conduct the probe independently and submit its report within three months.
The development follows a petition filed by Sowjanya’s mother, Kusumavathi, who had sought a fresh investigation after raising concerns about gaps in the earlier probes conducted by the Karnataka CID and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Sowjanya Murder Case Gets Fresh Investigation Direction
Sowjanya, a 17-year-old second-PUC student from Ujire, was raped and murdered in October 2012. The case was initially investigated by the Karnataka Police and later transferred to the CID and CBI following public protests and demands for a detailed investigation.
Santosh Rao, who was arrested in connection with the case, was subsequently tried by a special CBI court in Bengaluru. He was acquitted after the court found that the prosecution had not established the case against him with sufficient evidence.
Sowjanya’s mother later approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a fresh probe, alleging shortcomings in the investigation. After the High Court rejected her plea, she moved the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had already expressed concerns regarding aspects of the earlier investigation during proceedings in July and indicated that it was considering a fresh probe.
During the proceedings, the petitioner’s side raised allegations concerning missing or overlooked evidence and argued that Santosh Rao was innocent. These remain allegations advanced before the court and are not established findings.
The Supreme Court’s latest order now provides for a fresh investigation without the officers who handled the earlier probes. The new team has been directed to complete the investigation and submit its report within three months.
The order brings renewed legal scrutiny to a case that has remained unresolved for more than a decade, with the identity of the person responsible for Sowjanya’s death still disputed.
