Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sep 30: Bengaluru Rural additional superintendent of police (Addl SP) Venkatesh Prasanna has written to the state government requesting to be excluded from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to reinvestigate the Sowjanya rape and murder case.

It is gathered that Prasanna sought his removal from the team on moral grounds, citing the lack of trust and confidence expressed in him by Sowjanya's family members.

Seventeen-year-old Sowjanya was raped and murdered in Dharmasthala of Belthangady taluk on October 9, 2012. The Supreme Court recently ordered a fresh probe into the case and directed the state government to constitute an SIT, mandating the submission of a compliance report within three months. Following this directive, the state government formed the SIT headed by IGP N Shashikumar.

The other appointed members of the SIT include Mangaluru city police commissioner C H Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Bengaluru intelligence SP Nisha James, and Bengaluru CID SP Lokesh Jagalasar. With the family raising objections against him, Addl SP Venkatesh Prasanna has now decided to step aside from the investigating team.