Soujanya case: Karnataka forms SIT headed by N. Shashikumar for fresh probe

The State government has constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a fresh investigation into the 2012 Soujanya case registered at the Belthangady Police Station in Dakshina Kannada district and the FIR subsequently re-registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Inspector-General of Police N. Shashikumar has been appointed as the SIT chief. The team includes Mangaluru City Police Commissioner C.H. Sudheer Kumar Reddy, State Intelligence Superintendent of Police Nisha James, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Superintendent of Police Lokesh Jagalsar and Bengaluru Rural Additional Superintendent of Police Venkatesh Prasanna.

The government constituted the SIT following directions issued by the Supreme Court while hearing a special leave petition filed by Kusumavathi Gowda, mother of Soujanya. The court had directed the State government to complete the fresh investigation within three months and submit a report to the court, besides ordering constitution of an SIT for the purpose.