The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday granted stay on the CBI’s further investigation into the rape and murder of 17-year-old student Soujanya in Dakshina Kannada district.
Justice Anand Byrareddy granted the stay while hearing a petition filed by Dhiraj Jain, Uday Jain and Malik Jain who were named as witnesses in the CBI’s charge sheet in the case.
Soujanya, a PUC student of SDM College, Ujire, was raped and killed on her way back home on October 9, 2012. The CBI had filed a charge sheet naming Santosh Rao as the key suspect and petitioners as eyewitnesses.
Following Soujanya’s father’s plea for further investigation into the murder case even after the charge sheet was filed, the CBI court had ordered for further probe.
The three witnesses have challenged the lower court order contending that once charge sheet has been filed, further investigation cannot be conducted in the same case.
Hearing the petition, Justice Byrareddy granted stay on the CBI’s further investigation into the case.
DH News Service
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