Mangaluru: A fresh investigation into the Sowjanya rape and murder case has commenced under the leadership of an IPS-rank officer for the first time, following the Supreme Court’s direction for a reinvestigation into the high-profile case.
Senior IPS officer and former CID SP Lokesh Jagalsar has been appointed as the investigating officer by SIT chief N Shashikumar. Mangaluru CCB ACP Manoj Kumar Naik has been named the assistant investigating officer.
The appointment marks a significant strengthening of the investigation team as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) begins examining the case afresh.
Lokesh Jagalsar appointed investigating officer
Jagalsar has previously served as Superintendent of Police in Bagalkot and Dharwad districts and as Deputy Commissioner of Police in Bengaluru City.
An engineering graduate, Jagalsar is expected to bring his experience in technical investigation to the probe, particularly as the SIT examines evidence and records generated during earlier investigations.
Police sources said Jagalsar had also played an important role in the investigation of multi-crore robbery cases in Bengaluru.
His appointment as the investigating officer comes as the SIT begins a detailed review of the circumstances surrounding the case and the evidence collected during previous probes.
SIT strengthened with 16 personnel
The state has also strengthened the SIT by appointing 16 police officers and personnel as investigation assistants.
Officials and personnel from different police units have joined the team to assist with the fresh probe. CCB ACP Manoj Kumar Naik is among the officers who have been assigned to the investigation.
The expanded team is expected to assist the investigating officer in reviewing case records, examining available evidence and pursuing investigative leads that emerge during the reinvestigation.
Supreme Court ordered reinvestigation
The fresh probe follows a Supreme Court order dated September 21 directing a reinvestigation into the case.
Acting on the order, the Karnataka government constituted a five-member SIT on September 24.
IGP N Shashikumar was appointed as the SIT chief. Mangaluru City Police Commissioner C H Sudheer Kumar Reddy, along with police officers Nisha James, Lokesh Jagalsar and Venkatesh Prasanna, were named as members of the team.
Venkatesh Prasanna has subsequently written to the department seeking to be relieved from the SIT.
The constitution of the team marked the beginning of a new investigative process in a case that has been the subject of prolonged legal proceedings and previous investigations by central and state agencies.
SIT begins work from Mangaluru
The SIT officially commenced its work in Mangaluru earlier this week. A separate office has been established on the premises of the old deputy commissioner’s office to facilitate the investigation.
At its first meeting, the team decided to undertake a comprehensive scrutiny of records and evidence collected during the earlier investigations conducted by the CID and CBI.
The team will examine the material available from the previous probes before finalising its strategy for the next stage of the investigation.
The review is expected to cover case records, evidence and other investigative material gathered over the course of the earlier investigations. The SIT will assess the available material before determining the further course of action.
Fresh investigation to examine earlier evidence
The decision to first scrutinise the CID and CBI records is expected to help the SIT establish a comprehensive understanding of the investigations already conducted.
The team will also examine other aspects of the case as part of the fresh probe. Based on its assessment of the existing material, the investigators will formulate a strategy for the next phase.
With an IPS officer now directly leading the investigation and a team of 16 investigation assistants in place, the fresh probe represents a new phase in the long-running case.
The Supreme Court’s direction and the subsequent constitution of the SIT have placed the investigation under renewed scrutiny, with the team now tasked with examining the available evidence afresh and pursuing the case in accordance with the court’s directions.