BENGALURU: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe afresh the 2012 rape and murder of 17-year-old Sowjanya faces several challenges, with nearly 14 years having passed since the crime. The team has to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine whether the old biological and other forensic evidence is still preserved and usable. Tracing witnesses and verifying their memories after such a long gap will also be a challenge.
Forensic experts said the primary and secondary crime scenes in the case will play a vital role, from the location where Sowjanya went missing to the place where her body was found. “Collecting new forensic evidence 14 years after the crime is almost impossible, as evidence may have been contaminated or lost over time.
The forensic evidence collected during the earlier investigations has already been submitted before the court and can be examined by the SIT. Any new digital evidence, if available, could help the SIT make a breakthrough in the case,” an expert said.
Former DG&IGP ST Ramesh told TNIE, “The 14-year lapse is certainly a challenge, but that is precisely why an SIT has been constituted to give exclusive attention to the investigation of the case.
The team has to reconstruct the crime scene as it existed in 2012 and examine & gather all available evidence, including witness statements, documentary, medical, forensic & circumstantial evidence, apart from DNA and digital evidence.” He, however, noted that previous investigations by the local police, CID and CBI could also be an advantage as substantial groundwork has already been done.
“There are already witnesses identified and investigations conducted. These witnesses can be contacted and re-examined, and further evidence can be collected if required.
At the same time, the SIT must guard against being influenced by the direction of the previous investigations. If the evidence points to a different direction, the team must have the courage to pursue it,” Ramesh said.
“Witnesses will be another important aspect of the investigation. After such a long period, their recollection of events may differ from their original statements. The SIT will have to locate key witnesses, record their statements again and compare them with the statements recorded during the earlier investigations. Some witnesses could also provide fresh information,” a retired police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.
“Every piece of available evidence has to be looked at independently. The SIT should also examine whether there are any witnesses who were not questioned during the earlier investigations,” he added.
Another forensic expert said digital evidence could prove useful if any relevant records have survived. “Call detail records, electronic communications, location data or other digital records, if preserved, could help establish the movements of the victim and suspects,” the expert said.
The case
Sowjanya, a 17-year-old PUC student, went missing on the evening of October 9, 2012, after getting off a bus near the Netravati bathing ghat. The next day, her body was found, and the postmortem report revealed that she had been raped and murdered.
The Belthangady police registered a case and arrested Santhosh Rao, a contract worker from Karkala, as the prime accused in the case.
The investigation was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which filed a chargesheet before the court. Following public outrage and protests, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in November 2013.
The central agency also named Rao as the prime accused. However, the CBI special court acquitted him after a trial in 2024. On September 21, the Supreme Court ordered a fresh investigation into the case.