Bengaluru: The CBI Special Court on Thursday granted bail to Santhosh Rao, an accused in the Sowjanya murder and rape case. This order comes close on the heels of the High Court order staying any further CBI investigations into the case.

It may be recalled that Sowjanya a II PU student, was found raped and murdered at Pangala near Dharmasthala on October 9, 2012. A mentally-ill Santhosh was named as the only accused in the chargesheet filed by the CID and arrested in this connection around four years ago.

The case was handed over to CBI after strong public protests, which too gave a clean chit to others, besides Santhosh named as suspects in the case while contending the involvement of more than one person in the case.

Since the scientific evidence, including the medical test and FSL examination results, did not prove Santosh Rao’s involvement in the crime it is gathered that the CBI court considered his plea and let him off on bail.