Supreme Court orders new probe into 2012 Karnataka rape-murder case

Fourteen years after a 17-year-old girl was brutally raped and killed in Karnataka, the Supreme Court has ordered a fresh special investigation team to revisit the case. The court acted on an appeal filed by the victim’s parent, expressing deep concern over the original police investigation, which it described as shocking and implausible. A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva ruled that any officer involved in the prior inquiry cannot join the new team.

The SIT will be headed by a senior police officer familiar with contemporary investigative technology and must deliver its report within three months. The incident occurred on October 9, 2012, when the girl failed to return home from school and her body was found the next day, with the post-mortem confirming sexual assault. The Supreme Court’s directive seeks to address alleged lapses and ensure a more credible inquiry.