Sowjanya case: 16 police personnel appointed to assist SIT in Supreme Court-ordered reinvestigation

Mangalore Today News Network

Belthangady, September 30, 2026: Following the Supreme Court’s order for a reinvestigation into the Sowjanya murder case in Dharmasthala, the Karnataka government has appointed 16 police personnel to assist the five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to conduct the probe.

The state government had constituted the SIT on September 24, headed by Inspector General of Police N Shashikumar, IPS.

The SIT comprises Mangaluru City Police Commissioner C H Sudheer Kumar Reddy, State Intelligence Department officer Nisha James, CID Superintendent of Police Lokesh Jagalsar, and Bengaluru Rural Additional Superintendent of Police Venkatesh Prasanna.

Director General and Inspector General of Police Dr M A Saleem issued an order on September 29 appointing 16 personnel as investigation assistants to the SIT.

The personnel include Mangaluru City CCB ACP Manoj Kumar Naik, Bengaluru CCB ACP Ramachandra B, CID Inspector Deepak, Inspector Mohan D Patil, Madiwala Traffic Police Station Inspector Eshwari, Konaje Police Station PSI Puneeth Gavankar, and South Traffic Police Station PSI Pradeep.

The team also includes Kankanady Police Station PSI Anita Nikam, Mangaluru CCB ASI Mohan, Kankanady Police Station personnel Pradeep Kumar Rai, Govardhan and Dinesh N, Ullal Police Station personnel Radhakrishna K K, Kavoor Police Station personnel Reji V M, Surathkal Police Station personnel Rajendra Prasad V P, and Kankanady Police Station woman personnel Prameela.

The newly appointed investigation assistants have been directed to be relieved from their respective police stations immediately and report to the SIT in Bengaluru.