Karnataka SIT formed to reinvestigate 2012 Soujanya rape and murder case
Synopsis
More than 14 years after 17-year-old Soujanya was found murdered in Belthangady, Karnataka has formed a Supreme Court-mandated SIT to reinvestigate the case from scratch — after the sole accused was acquitted in 2023 for lack of evidence. The fresh probe must conclude within three months, reopening one of Karnataka's most contested criminal cases.
Key Takeaways
The Karnataka government constituted an SIT on 24 September 2026 to reinvestigate the Soujanya gang rape and murder case of 2012 .
The SIT was formed on directions of the Supreme Court , which ordered a fresh de novo investigation on 21 September 2026 .
Shashikumar, IPS has been appointed head of the SIT; officers involved in earlier investigations are barred from joining.
Sole accused Santhosh Rao was acquitted by a CBI special court in June 2023 due to insufficient evidence; the CBI challenged the acquittal in the Karnataka High Court.
The SIT must complete its probe within three months and submit a report to the concerned court.
The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a fresh, de novo probe into the Soujanya gang rape and murder case, originally registered at Belthangady Police Station in 2012, the state Home Ministry announced late on Thursday, 24 September 2026. The SIT has been formed in direct compliance with a Supreme Court order issued on 21 September 2026.
Composition of the New SIT
N. Shashikumar, IPS, has been appointed as the head of the newly constituted team. The SIT also includes C.K. Sudheer Kumar Reddy, IPS, Nikhila James, IPS, Lokesh Jagalasar, IPS, and Venkatesh Prasanna as members. Notably, the Supreme Court had specifically barred any officer who participated in earlier investigations from being part of the new team — a directive the government has incorporated into its order.
Background: What Happened to Soujanya
The case dates to October 2012, when 17-year-old Soujanya, a second-year pre-university student at SDM College in Ujire, went missing while returning home in Belthangady taluk of Mangaluru district. Her family lodged a missing-person complaint at Belthangady Police Station on 9 October 2012. Her body was recovered the following day from a bush near Mannasanka, after which charges of rape and murder were registered.
The case passed through multiple investigative hands — first the Belthangady Police, then the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and finally the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Santhosh Rao was arrested and prosecuted as the sole accused.
Acquittal and Supreme Court Intervention
In June 2023, a CBI special court acquitted Santhosh Rao, holding that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges with sufficient evidence. The CBI subsequently challenged the acquittal before the Karnataka High Court. The case then escalated to the Supreme Court, where a Bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva on 21 September 2026 directed a fresh investigation, citing concerns about the integrity of earlier proceedings.
Mandate and Deadline
According to the government order, the SIT has been instructed to complete its investigation within three months and submit its report to the concerned court — mirroring the timeline explicitly specified by the Supreme Court. The probe is expected to revisit all evidence collected during prior investigations, as well as pursue any new leads that may emerge.
With the SIT now formally in place, the focus shifts to whether a fresh team — unencumbered by the history of earlier probes — can produce findings that a court will find credible, more than 14 years after the crime was committed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Soujanya rape and murder case?
The Soujanya case refers to the gang rape and murder of 17-year-old Soujanya , a pre-university student from SDM College in Ujire , whose body was found on 10 October 2012 near Mannasanka in Belthangady taluk, Mangaluru district. She had been reported missing by her family the previous day after she failed to return home.
Why has a new SIT been formed in 2026 for a 2012 case?
The Supreme Court on 21 September 2026 ordered a fresh de novo investigation after the sole accused, Santhosh Rao , was acquitted by a CBI special court in June 2023 due to insufficient evidence. The court directed the Karnataka government to constitute a new SIT with officers who had no prior involvement in the case.
Who leads the newly formed SIT?
N. Shashikumar, IPS has been appointed as the head of the SIT. Other members include C.K. Sudheer Kumar Reddy , Nikhila James , Lokesh Jagalasar (all IPS officers), and Venkatesh Prasanna .
How long does the SIT have to complete the investigation?
The SIT has been directed to complete its investigation within three months and submit a report to the concerned court, in line with the specific timeline set by the Supreme Court.
What happened to the earlier investigations into the Soujanya case?
The case was first investigated by the Belthangady Police , then transferred to the Karnataka CID , and subsequently handed to the CBI . After the CBI's sole accused was acquitted in June 2023 for lack of evidence, the CBI challenged the verdict in the Karnataka High Court, eventually leading to the Supreme Court's intervention and the order for a fresh probe.
