The special investigation team (SIT) re-probing the 2012 rape and murder case in Dharmasthala has summoned more than 15 police officers and personnel who handled the investigation at different stages, from the initial probe by Belthangady police to subsequent investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“The officers have been issued notices under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), directing them to appear for questioning on Friday,” an officer familiar with the investigation said.
The questioning is part of the SIT’s examination of the investigations conducted over the past 14 years, none of which resulted in a conviction. The team is looking into how the case was handled by the different agencies and the evidence collected during their investigations.
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The Supreme Court ordered a fresh investigation on September 21 directing the Karnataka government to complete the probe and submit a report within three months.
The order followed a petition by the victim’s mother, Kusumavathi, seeking a fresh investigation into her daughter’s death. The court also expressed serious concerns about the earlier CBI probe.
The SIT is headed by inspector general of police (IGP) N Shashikumar. Its members include Mangaluru City police commissioner C H Sudheer Kumar Reddy, intelligence superintendent of police Nisha James and CID superintendent of police (SP) Lokesh Jagalasar. Officers involved in the earlier investigations have been excluded from the new team to ensure an independent inquiry.
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The team started its probe in October by examining existing case records and seeking documents, evidence and investigation files from the CID and the CBI. Jagalasar has been appointed investigating officer, while Mangaluru Central Crime Branch Assistant Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Naik is assisting him.
The case remained unresolved despite investigations by multiple agencies. Santhosh Rao, the sole accused prosecuted in connection with the crime, was acquitted by a trial court on June 16, 2023, after the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
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The 17 year old student at SDM College in Ujire went missing on October 9, 2012, while returning home from college. Her body was found the following day in a forested area near the Nethravathi river in Dharmasthala. The postmortem examination confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted before being murdered.
The case was initially investigated by Belthangady police before being transferred to the CID and later the CBI. None of the investigations led to a conviction. The SIT has been directed to examine the case afresh rather than merely revisit the conclusions reached by the earlier agencies.