Dharmasthala Sowjanya rape-murder case: SC orders reinvestigation

The Sowjanya rape and murder case in the temple town of Dharmasthala in Karnataka, which has remained unresolved for 14 years and triggered widespread public concern across the state, has taken a significant turn.

The Supreme Court on Monday (September 21) ordered the constitution of a fresh Special Investigation Team (SIT) to reinvestigate the case. With the order, the 2012 criminal case has once again come under the scanner.

3-month deadline

While directing a fresh probe, the Supreme Court issued strict guidelines to ensure transparency in the investigation. The Bench made it clear that officials from the local police, CID and CBI who were part of the earlier investigations must be kept out of the new SIT.

Also read: 'Who killed?' Women’s movement rises again in Karnataka over Dharmasthala case

It also ruled that the fresh probe cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely. The new team has been given three months to complete the reinvestigation and submit a comprehensive report to the court.

During a hearing in July, the Supreme Court had expressed serious displeasure over the manner in which the earlier CBI investigators had proceeded, observing that instead of independently collecting evidence, they had relied on earlier reports while filing the chargesheet.

Incident in 2012

Sowjanya, a 17-year-old second PUC student from Ujire in Dakshina Kannada district, went missing in October 2012 while returning home from college. Her body was found on October 10 in a bush in the Mannasanka area of Dharmasthala. The gruesome incident sent shockwaves across the state.

The police arrested Santhosh Rao and named him as the prime accused. However, amid allegations by Sowjanya's family and members of the public that the actual perpetrators were being protected, the case was first handed over to the CID and later to the CBI. In 2014, the CBI filed a chargesheet naming Rao as the sole accused and gave a clean chit to three other suspects. The decision triggered widespread public outrage.

Rao acquitted

After nearly 11 years of proceedings, the CBI Special Court in Bengaluru acquitted Rao on June 16, 2023, citing lack of sufficient evidence. The court held that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

Also read: Thousands of women march in Belthangady seeking justice for Dharmasthala victims

Following the acquittal, the question, "Then who killed Sowjanya?" once again began to reverberate across the state. Alleging that crucial evidence had been destroyed during the earlier investigations, Sowjanya's mother, Kusumavathi, approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a fresh probe. Although the High Court dismissed the petition in 2024, it made several serious observations regarding the sensitivity of the case and alleged lapses in the investigation.

Challenges before new SIT

With the local police, CID and CBI having already investigated the case without resolving it, the new SIT faces a formidable task. It will have to revisit records dating back 14 years, trace evidence that may have been lost or destroyed, and re-examine statements as it attempts to establish the facts within the 90-day deadline.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka)