Beltangady, Jun 16, 2023: The CBI court on Friday, June 16, acquitted Santhosh Rao, accused in the rape and murder case of Sowjanya (17), a student of SDM College and a resident of Dharmastala.
After a long wait of 11 years, the Bengaluru CBI Court has given the verdict. CBI Special Court Judge C.B. Santosh delivered the not-guilty verdict, citing a lack of evidence against the accused.
Sowjanya, a second PU student at Ujire SDM College, went missing on October 9, 2012. Her father Chandrappagouda had filed a complaint with the Belthangady police. Sowjanya’s lifeless body was discovered near Dharmastala, where she had been raped and murdered.