Overview
- The Supreme Court on Monday, September 21, 2026 ordered a de novo reinvestigation of the 2012 rape and murder of 17‑year‑old Sowjanya in Ujire near Dharmasthala.
- The court recorded specific lapses by earlier teams, including missing or unsecured CCTV, unrecovered personal items such as the victim’s umbrella and clothing, vaginal swabs improperly preserved for DNA testing, and hair from unidentified persons on the victim’s garments.
- Karnataka must form a Special Investigation Team headed by a senior state police officer that excludes any investigator who worked on the Belthangady police, CID, or CBI probes and that is skilled in modern forensic and digital techniques.
- The bench barred fresh investigation or prosecution of the sole earlier accused, Santhosh Rao, because he was tried and acquitted by a CBI court in June 2023 and is protected from double jeopardy.
- Sowjanya’s mother, activists and local stakeholders welcomed the order, which could lead to new DNA testing, reinterviewing of witnesses and court monitoring of the inquiry over the next three months.