Soujanya case: New SIT holds first meeting in Mangaluru, reviews old case files

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Oct 2, 2026: The newly constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 14-year-old Soujanya rape and murder case held its first meeting in Mangaluru on Thursday, following the Supreme Court’s direction for a fresh investigation.

The development comes after the Supreme Court directed the Karnataka government to conduct a fresh probe under a new team of officers, excluding those who were part of the earlier SIT, and submit a report within the stipulated period. The state government subsequently constituted a five-member SIT headed by IGP N. Shashikumar.

SIT members Nisha James, SP, Intelligence, and Lokesh Jagalsar, SP, CID, arrived in Mangaluru in the morning and inspected the new SIT office at the old Deputy Commissioner’s office complex near State Bank. They later visited the office of SIT member and Mangaluru City Police Commissioner C.H. Sudheer Kumar Reddy for discussions.

A portion of the Special Task Force office on the second floor of the old Deputy Commissioner’s office building has been converted into the SIT office, from where the investigation-related work will be carried out.

SIT chief N. Shashikumar visited the office in the afternoon. The four senior officers and 16 assistant officers held a meeting from 3.45 pm to 4.45 pm, during which they reviewed the previous case files and discussed the strategy for the next phase of the investigation. Responsibilities were also assigned to the officers, sources said.

SIT member and Bengaluru Rural Additional SP Venkatesh Prasanna was absent from the meeting. He has reportedly sought to be relieved from the team.

SIT office inspected in Belthangady

Officers of the new SIT also visited Belthangady on Thursday and inspected the SIT office near the police station.

Nisha James and Lokesh Jagalsar visited the office before leaving for Mangaluru.

The earlier SIT that investigated the case related to the alleged burial of a body in Dharmasthala village had operated from a police quarters building near the Belthangady police station. The new SIT is also likely to function from the same premises.

The Karnataka government constituted the five-member SIT on September 24, following the Supreme Court’s September 21 direction for a fresh investigation. The team is headed by IGP N. Shashikumar and comprises C.H. Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Nisha James, Lokesh Jagalsar and Venkatesh Prasanna.