Inspector General of Police N. Shashikumar, who heads the SIT to re-investigate the Soujanya rape and murder case, leaving after the first meeting of the team in Mangaluru on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Special Investigation Team headed by Inspector General of Police N. Shashikumar that is reinvestigating the rape and murder of 17-year-old Soujanya in Dharmastala held its first meeting in Mangaluru on Thursday.
Mr. Shashikumar held the meeting at the old office of the Deputy Commissioner in Hampankatta, which will be new office of the SIT. The meeting was attended by Mangaluru Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, State Intelligence Superintendent of Police Nisha James, and CID Superintendent of Police Lokesh Jagalsar. Bengaluru Rural Additional Superintendent of Police Venkatesh Prasanna was not present.
The body of Soujanya, who went missing on October 9, 2012, was found in the bushes at Mannasanka, near Dharmasthala on October 10. The CBI Special Court in Bengaluru acquitted the lone accused Santosh Rao on June 16, 2023. The Karnataka High Court on August 30, 2024, rejected the application by Soujanya’s father Chandappa Gowda seeking de-novo investigation of the case. On September 21, the Supreme Court ordered re-investigation by the SIT of the State government and said Santosh Rao shall not be subjected to further investigation or prosecution.
On September 25, the State government set up the SIT to reinvestigate the case in a period of three months.
Published – October 01, 2026 08:18 pm IST
