The Supreme Court has ordered a fresh investigation into the October 2012 rape and murder of 17-year-old Sowjanya in Karnataka. The Monday order directs the state government to form a new Special Investigation Team led by a senior police officer and trained investigators, while barring officers who worked on previous probes by the Belthangady police, CID, or CBI. The SIT must complete its work and file a detailed report within three months.
The ruling responds to a petition by the victim’s mother, Kusumavathi, who argued that evidence was overlooked and earlier investigations had gaps. Over a decade of probes by the CID and CBI resulted in no convictions, and the sole accused, Santhosh Rao, was acquitted in June 2023 by a special CBI court. The family has long maintained that Rao was wrongly implicated and that real perpetrators were shielded.
While the Karnataka High Court dismissed a plea for a fresh CBI inquiry in August 2024, it noted that the case required reinvestigation. The long-running case has sparked protests and calls for justice in coastal Karnataka. Kusumavathi welcomed the Supreme Court’s order, stating it renewed the family’s hope after 14 years.