Soujanya murder case: K'taka HC issues notices to state govt, CBI

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has issued notices to both the state government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding a petition seeking a fresh investigation into the 2012 Soujanya rape and murder case.

The notices were issued based on a plea filed by Chandappa Gowda, the victim’s father.

The victim, 17-year-old Soujanya, a student of SDM College in Ujire near Dharmasthala, Dakshina Kannada district, was brutally assaulted and killed.

A single-judge bench of Justice K. Natarajan also directed the petition to be presented before the Chief Justice for assignment to a Division Bench, as per the petitioner’s request.

The petitioner argued that Santosh Rao was not the actual perpetrator and that the CBI be directed to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The petitioner claimed that the original investigation by the Belthangady police station and subsequent inquiries by the State Criminal Investigation Department failed to apprehend the true culprits.

Additionally, the petitioner sought action against the investigation officer responsible for the initial flawed investigation, as highlighted by the trial court’s observations.