Santosh Rao (left) and Soujanya (right). Image Credit: Kannada Prabha
Police arrested Santosh Rao three days before Soujanya murder: Investigation report
In the CBI chargesheet in the Soujanya case, it is stated that Rao was arrested on October 13, 2012. However, an investigation report on the Yamuna–Narayana murder states that Rao was picked up on October 6.
Bengaluru
Acquitted accused Santosh Rao was arrested by the Belthangady police on October 6, 2012—three days before the brutal murder of 17-year-old Soujanya. This date of arrest was documented in the investigation report submitted by the very same police in the Yamuna and Narayana Sapalya murder case. The blrpost.com has accessed and read the investigation report.
According to the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Soujanya case, Rao was arrested by the Belthangady police on October 13 and produced before the court on October 15. However, the report also states that he was first caught near Bahubali Betta in Dharmasthala village on October 11 by Uday Jain, Dheeraj Kella, and Mallik Jain. The trio are local villagers. He was later handedover to the police.
Soujanya was murdered on October 9, 2012 and her body was discovered the following day. She went missing on the same day she was killed, shortly after disembarking from a bus near Shantivana. She was returning home from SDM College in Ujire, located in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district.
This discrepancy in the arrest dates recorded in the chargesheet and the investigation report has now raised serious questions about the credibility of the probe conducted by the Belthangady police, the Criminal Investigation Department, and even the CBI.
The CBI court acquitted Rao in 2023, citing a lack of evidence and noting that the samples collected for DNA analysis were insufficient and contaminated. However, with the advancement of highly sophisticated DNA testing techniques, even previously contaminated samples are now considered adequate for detailed forensic examination.
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Yamuna & Narayana Sapalya murder | September 21, 2012, 12:15 PM | Siblings murdered; C summary report filed due to insufficient evidence. |
| Soujanya goes missing | October 9, 2012 | 17-year-old Soujanya disappears after disembarking from bus near Shantivana, returning from SDM College, Ujire. |
| Soujanya’s body found | October 10, 2012 | Body discovered a day after her disappearance. |
| Santosh Rao first picked up (Yamuna/Narayana investigation report) | October 6, 2012 | Belthangady police reportedly pick him up; recorded in Yamuna-Narayana murder investigation report. |
| Rao caught near Bahubali Betta, Dharmasthala | October 11, 2012 | Apprehended by Uday Jain, Dheeraj Kella, and Mallik Jain, according to police |
| Rao’s arrest as per CBI chargesheet (Soujanya case) | October 13, 2012 | Arrested by Belthangady police, later produced in court. |
| Rao produced before court | October 15, 2012 | Court appearance in Soujanya case. |
| CBI acquittal of Santosh Rao | 2023 | Acquitted citing insufficient and contaminated DNA evidence. |
It should also be noted that Yamuna and her brother Narayana Sapalya were murdered on September 21 at around 12:15 pm. The police later submitted a C-summary report, which is typically filed when the police fail to gather sufficient evidence to frame charges.
Santosh’s arrest in investigation report
In the investigation report submitted before the Belthangady Principal Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate First Class on December 17, 2012, Belthangady police recorded that Rao was arrested on October 6 and produced before the court in connection with the Soujanya case (250/2012). Rao hails from Kukkandur village in Karkala taluk of Udupi district. Submitting this investigation report, police sought permission to submit C summary report.
The report states that Rao’s blood sample was collected for the Soujanya case. Since he was also a suspect in the Yamuna–Narayana murder case, the police sought separate permission to carry out DNA analysis. In the Soujanya case, the police collected his blood-stained clothes in addition to the blood sample.
After securing the court’s permission, the same blood sample was used for DNA analysis in the double-murder case. The DNA division of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Madiwala, Bengaluru, conducted the DNA test by examining his blood sample as well as the vaginal swab and pubic hair collected from Yamuna. The FSL report indicated that there was no presence of Rao’s DNA on the victim.