Mangaluru: The five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Karnataka government to reinvestigate the 2012 Dharmasthala gang rape and murder case of Soujanya is set to begin its fresh probe in Mangaluru on Thursday.
The investigation is being undertaken in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions to the Karnataka government. The SIT has been given three months to complete the investigation and submit its findings to the competent court.
SIT officers reach Mangaluru
SIT members, including Intelligence SP Nisha James and CID SP Lokesh Jagalsar, reached Mangaluru on Thursday morning. They are scheduled to meet Mangaluru City Police Commissioner CH Sudheer Kumar Reddy to discuss the investigation strategy and the next course of action.
Sudheer Kumar Reddy is also a member of the SIT. The team is expected to discuss the available case material, investigation procedures and other aspects of the fresh probe.
A separate office will be provided for the SIT to facilitate the investigation.
The Karnataka government constituted the five-member team on September 24 following the Supreme Court’s directions.
Five-member team constituted
The SIT is headed by IGP N Shashikumar. The other members are Mangaluru City Police Commissioner CH Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Intelligence SP Nisha James, CID SP Lokesh Jagalsar and Bengaluru Rural ASP Venkatesh Prasanna.
The team has been tasked with examining the case afresh and submitting its report within the three-month period stipulated by the Supreme Court.
The development comes amid continued demands for a fresh investigation into the circumstances surrounding Soujanya’s death and the investigations conducted by different agencies over the years.
Officer seeks relief from SIT
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Rural ASP Venkatesh Prasanna has reportedly written to the State government seeking to be relieved from the SIT.
The request follows objections reportedly raised by some social activists and members of Soujanya’s family over his inclusion in the investigation team.
The issue was addressed by State Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday. He said the government was committed to ensuring justice in the case and would consider concerns raised by Soujanya’s family and members of the public regarding the appointment of officers.
“The SIT was formed with the best intentions. We do not have any bad intentions or any intention to cause damage to anyone,” Kharge said.
He said the government’s objective was to establish the truth and ensure justice, while maintaining that it would follow the directions issued by the Supreme Court.
Kharge also indicated that the government would not take a rigid position regarding concerns over the composition of the team and would consider the matter in accordance with the court’s directions.
Case remained controversial
The Soujanya case has remained controversial following investigations by the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CBI had named a main accused in the case, but the accused was subsequently acquitted by the court. The acquittal led to renewed questions and demands from sections of the public and Soujanya’s family for the case to be investigated afresh.
The fresh SIT probe is now expected to examine the circumstances of the case, the evidence and the findings of earlier investigations.
The team will have to complete its investigation within the three-month deadline and submit its findings to the competent court.
The commencement of the probe marks a new phase in the long-running case, with the SIT expected to examine the matter independently in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions.