Rajya Sabha member and hereditary administrator of Dharmasthala, Veerendra Heggade, on Wednesday, July 19 addressed the allegations about the Sowjanya case. He said that he will not be swayed by personal attacks and that his courage remains unshaken.
Sowjanya, a second-year pre-university student at Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College in Ujire, went missing on the evening of October 9, 2012. A day later, her body was found in a deserted place near the Nethravathi River. Her hands were bound with her own shawl to a tree.
After 11 years of investigation, a Bengaluru court acquitted the lone accused, Santhosh Rao, of all the charges last month, on June 16. The court found that evidence was planted or ignored. It said that the investigation was flawed and medical reports were tampered with. The case by the Crime Investigation Department and then the Central Bureau of Investigation against Santhosh was based on three things -- his confession to the police, recovery of his clothes, and injury marks. But the court found that none of these were fool proof enough to implicate Santhosh. Read TNM story to understand how the case was botched up, in the absence of CCTV footage and destruction of DNA evidence.
Sowjanya’s family always maintained that Santosh was framed in the case. They allege that the case was not investigated properly. TNM recently visited Dharmasthala and spoke to Sowjanya’s family and activists who have been fighting for justice. The family believes that the real culprits were being protected by Dharmasthala because they enjoyed the patronage of Veerendra Heggade.
Responding to these accusations against the institution, Veerendra Heggade, in his recent address at Dharmasthala, said that the name of Dharmasthala was being tarnished by those who opposed its growth and progress. He said, "Our intentions have always been to serve the community, but along with appreciation, we also face hatred and jealousy. Despite allegations, we remain committed to our mission."
He added, "We will not be swayed by personal attacks. Our courage remains unshaken, and we will continue to focus on serving with integrity and dedication."
Sowjanya’s family allege that Malik Jain, Dheeraj Jain, and Udaya Jain are the suspects behind the crime. These alleged suspects are acquainted with Nischal Jain, the nephew of Veerendra Heggade. The family allege that the police are shielding the real culprits due to their close association with Veerendra Heggade.
(TNM is using the name of the victim with written permission from her mother)