SIT Begins Work On 2012 Rape-Murder Case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to reinvestigate the 2012 rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl near Dharmasthala began its work in Mangaluru on Thursday.

The team, headed by IGP N Shashikumar, met at the Old DC office building in the Bunder area and held discussions for about an hour from 3.45 pm to 4.45 pm. The meeting is understood to have discussed the steps to be taken ahead.

Though the government is yet to officially announce the SIT office, sources said the team is likely to function from the Old DC office building. It is said that an office is also likely to be opened in Belthangady.

The State government had appointed Shashikumar as head of the five-member SIT on September 24. Mangaluru City Police Commissioner CH Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Intelligence SP Nisha James, CID SP Lokesh Jagalsar and Bengaluru Rural Additional SP Venkatesh Prasanna are the other members.

Sources said that Venkatesh Prasanna did not attend the meeting in Mangaluru on Thursday.

The SIT has been given three months to complete the investigation and submit its report. Sixteen personnel were appointed two days ago to assist the team in the investigation.

The girl had gone missing on October 9, 2012. Her body was found in bushes at Mannasanka near Dharmasthala the following day.