Karnataka appoints Chetan Singh Rathore as new SIT chief in Sowjanya rape-murder case

The Karnataka Government has appointed Chetan Singh Rathore, Inspector General of Police (IGP), CID, as the new head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2012 rape and murder of 17-year-old Sowjanya in Dharmasthala. Rathore replaces N Shashi Kumar, who reportedly sought to be relieved of the responsibility citing personal reasons.

The appointment was formalised through an order issued on October 30, amending the government’s September 24 order constituting the five-member SIT. The government has also replaced Additional Superintendent of Police Venkatesh Prasanna, formerly serving as Additional SP, Bengaluru Rural, with Srinidhi, Additional SP, Hassan district. The other appointments remain unchanged.

Shashi Kumar had reportedly approached Director General and Inspector General of Police MA Saleem seeking relief from the assignment. His exit comes amid objections from the victim’s family and activists over his appointment as SIT chief.

Sowjanya, a 17-year-old college student from Belthangady, was raped and murdered in October 2012. Despite investigations by the local police, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the case remains unresolved, with no perpetrator identified.

Sowjanya’s mother Kusumavathi had expressed dissatisfaction with the composition of the SIT shortly after its formation. In a statement issued on September 26, she said the Supreme Court had directed the government to appoint efficient investigators familiar with modern investigative technology. She questioned whether the appointment of the SIT chief complied with the court’s directions and urged the government to select honest and capable officers who could conduct an impartial investigation without external pressure.

Meanwhile, the SIT has begun examining the investigations previously conducted by the local police, CID and CBI.

Earlier this week, the team issued notices under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to more than 15 police officers and personnel associated with various stages of the earlier investigations, directing them to appear for questioning.

Those reportedly served notices include former local police station inspector Bhaskar Rai, then-PSI Yogesh and CID investigating officer DySP Rudramuni, along with other police personnel.

On October 29, eight personnel associated with the earlier investigations appeared before the SIT at its Mangaluru office and were questioned. They reportedly included former SIT officer Kalaimar, head constable Sundar Shetty, woman head constable Savitha Shetty and retired SIT officer Kushalappa Gowda, besides four others.

The SIT has also collected a blood sample from Sowjanya’s mother at the Belthangady court on October 23 for DNA analysis. The team is examining forensic material and records from previous investigations and has sought original documents and evidence from the CID and CBI.

Supreme Court orders fresh investigation

The Supreme Court ordered a fresh investigation by an SIT comprising experienced investigators familiar with modern investigative technology and headed by a senior police officer.

The court directed that officers associated with the earlier investigations by the Belthangady police, CID and CBI should not be included in the new team. It also ordered that the investigation be completed within three months.

The fresh probe follows years of demands by Sowjanya’s family for justice and seeks to re-examine the circumstances surrounding her death, along with the lapses in the earlier investigations.