Supreme court issues notice in Soujanya murder case, re-investigation plea gains traction

Mangaluru, : In a significant development in one of Karnataka’s most controversial criminal cases, the Supreme Court has issued notices to the state government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over a plea seeking a fresh probe into the Soujanya murder case that had triggered widespread outrage across the state.

The petition was filed by Kusumavathi, mother of the victim Soujanya, who has been relentlessly pursuing justice since the brutal crime took place in 2012. Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Shobha Gupta argued before the court that both the local police and the Crime Investigation Department (CID) had failed to conduct a fair and comprehensive investigation, and that the CBI too did not carry out an independent probe as expected.

She pointed out that crucial evidence from the crime scene where Soujanya’s body was discovered was not adequately examined. Despite strong local suspicions against certain individuals, the investigating agencies allegedly failed to question or probe those suspects thoroughly. This, she argued, raises serious concerns about lapses in the investigation and strengthens the demand for a re-investigation.

A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Vinod Chandran took note of these submissions and issued notices to both the Karnataka government and the CBI, seeking their responses. The petitioner’s counsel also informed the court about the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the state government to probe unnatural deaths in Dharmasthala, suggesting that further investigation in Soujanya’s case could be carried out under its ambit.

However, the Supreme Court clarified that any decision regarding who should conduct the probe can only be taken after reviewing the responses and reports submitted by the respondents. At this stage, the court said, it would be premature to determine the appropriate investigating authority.

Soujanya, a pre-university student at SDM College in Ujire, was abducted on the evening of October 9, 2012, while returning home from college. She was reportedly gang-raped and murdered, and her body was found the next morning in a nearby forested area. The incident sparked massive protests in Dharmasthala and across Karnataka, with citizens demanding justice and accountability.

Despite multiple investigations by the CID and later the CBI, the case remains unresolved. In 2022, a CBI court acquitted Santosh Rao, who had been arrested by local police, citing lack of evidence after he had spent seven years in prison.

The case continues to be a symbol of alleged investigative lapses and has fueled persistent public demand for justice.