Mangaluru: The CBI sleuths which was probing the sensational rape and murder of 17 year old Sowjanya, have given clean chit to Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade and his family.

In a press release, P P Hegde, the advocate for Heggade, said the investigation has proved that the accused Santhosh Rao had committed the crime. The CBI report has proved that the allegations by a few individuals against Heggade and his family were false.

 Sowjanya, 17-year-old second year PUC student of SDM college was found raped and murdered on October 10, 2012 in Belthangady, 8 kms away from Dharmasthala in a wooded area near her house.

Following series of protest against the powerful Hegde family  being involved in the brutal rape and murder, the government had handed over the case to the CBI to probe.