Mangaluru: The Karnataka government’s decision to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a fresh investigation into the 2012 Dharmasthala Sowjanya rape and murder case has drawn objections from Sowjanya’s mother Kusumavathi, who has questioned the inclusion of officers who have previously served in Dakshina Kannada.
The objections come after the Supreme Court directed the Karnataka government to conduct a fresh investigation into the case and constitute an SIT headed by a senior police officer.
Kusumavathi questions SIT composition
In a statement, Kusumavathi expressed gratitude to the Supreme Court for ordering a reinvestigation into the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death but said she was dissatisfied with the team constituted by the state government.
She questioned the inclusion of officers who have previously served in Dakshina Kannada, arguing that investigators without earlier links to the district would help strengthen confidence in the fresh probe.
The concerns have also been echoed by some of Sowjanya’s supporters, particularly over the professional backgrounds of members of the newly constituted team.
Five-member SIT constituted
The Karnataka government has constituted the SIT under the leadership of Inspector General of Police N Shashikumar.
Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, State Intelligence Superintendent of Police Nisha James, CID Superintendent of Police Lokesh Jagalsar and Bengaluru Rural Additional Superintendent of Police Venkatesh Prasanna have been appointed as members of the team.
The SIT has been constituted to conduct the fresh investigation ordered by the Supreme Court.
Officers with previous DK links questioned
The composition of the SIT has become a point of discussion among Sowjanya’s supporters because some of the officers appointed to the team have previously served in Dakshina Kannada.
SIT chief N Shashikumar had earlier served as Mangaluru Police Commissioner. Venkatesh Prasanna had served several years ago as an inspector with the Dakshina Kannada CCB unit.
Sudheer Kumar Reddy, who is currently serving as Mangaluru City Police Commissioner, is also part of the SIT.
Kusumavathi and those opposing the present composition have called for officers without previous professional links to Dakshina Kannada to be included in the investigation.
Their concern is that a team comprising officers without earlier district-level associations would help reinforce public confidence in the independence of the reinvestigation.
The objections, however, relate to the composition of the team and do not by themselves establish any wrongdoing or bias on the part of the officers appointed to the SIT.
Fresh investigation ordered by Supreme Court
The Supreme Court ordered a fresh investigation into the case following a plea pursued by Kusumavathi.
The case dates back to 2012, when Sowjanya, a 17-year-old student, was raped and murdered in the Dharmasthala-Ujire area.
The case had been investigated by multiple agencies, including the local police, the Criminal Investigation Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Santhosh Rao, who was prosecuted in connection with the case, was acquitted by the Sessions Court in 2023 after the prosecution failed to establish the charges against him.
The Supreme Court subsequently considered the circumstances surrounding the investigation and directed that the case be investigated afresh.
Focus now on independent investigation
The fresh investigation is expected to examine the available evidence and other investigative leads in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions.
The court has directed the state to constitute an SIT comprising experienced investigators and headed by a senior police officer. The new investigation is required to be conducted independently and within the timeframe fixed by the court.
The Supreme Court has also directed that officers who were part of the earlier investigation teams of the Belthangady Police, CID or CBI should not be included in the new SIT.
With the team now constituted, the objections raised by Kusumavathi have brought renewed attention to the investigators selected for the case.
The SIT is now expected to begin the fresh investigation, while Kusumavathi and her supporters continue to seek what they describe as an impartial and independent probe into the circumstances surrounding Sowjanya’s death.