A DIG-rank officer in Karnataka, M. Somashekar, has been arrested in connection with the alleged forging of a Supreme Court order to facilitate the release of a life convict in 2018. The case surfaced after the current Superintendent of Bengaluru Central Prison filed a complaint regarding the convict's release based on a falsified Supreme Court order. Investigators found that a forged document purportedly from the Supreme Court directed the release of the life convict, Shankar A., who had previously had all his appeals rejected. Adding a deeply disturbing element, the convict's wife has alleged that Somashekar, who was then the Chief Superintendent, sexually exploited her in exchange for his help in securing her husband's release. Somashekar was taken into custody after allegedly refusing to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

A DIG-rank officer in Karnataka, M. Somashekar, has been arrested in connection with the alleged forging of a Supreme Court order to facilitate the release of a life convict in 2018. The case surfaced after the current Superintendent of Bengaluru Central Prison filed a complaint regarding the convict's release based on a falsified Supreme Court order. Investigators found that a forged document purportedly from the Supreme Court directed the release of the life convict, Shankar A., who had previously had all his appeals rejected. Adding a deeply disturbing element, the convict's wife has alleged that Somashekar, who was then the Chief Superintendent, sexually exploited her in exchange for his help in securing her husband's release. Somashekar was taken into custody after allegedly refusing to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

A DIG-rank officer in Karnataka, M. Somashekar, has been arrested in connection with the alleged forging of a Supreme Court order to facilitate the release of a life convict in 2018. The case surfaced after the current Superintendent of Bengaluru Central Prison filed a complaint regarding the convict's release based on a falsified Supreme Court order. Investigators found that a forged document purportedly from the Supreme Court directed the release of the life convict, Shankar A., who had previously had all his appeals rejected. Adding a deeply disturbing element, the convict's wife has alleged that Somashekar, who was then the Chief Superintendent, sexually exploited her in exchange for his help in securing her husband's release. Somashekar was taken into custody after allegedly refusing to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

A DIG-rank officer in Karnataka, who previously served as the Chief Superintendent of Bengaluru Central Prison, has been arrested in connection with the alleged forging of a Supreme Court order to facilitate the release of a life convict in 2018.

The accused, M. Somashekar, is currently serving as Deputy Inspector General (Prisons), North Zone, Kalaburagi. The case took a further turn after the convict’s wife allegedly told investigators that Somashekar sexually exploited her in exchange for helping secure her husband’s release.

How it unfolded

The case came to light in May this year after the current Superintendent of Bengaluru Central Prison filed a police complaint alleging that a life convict had been released on November 13, 2018, on the basis of a forged Supreme Court order.

Following the complaint, the Parappana Agrahara police registered a case and began an investigation. Investigators found that the convict, identified as Shankar A., had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a fast-track court on July 12, 2004. His subsequent appeals before the High Court and the Supreme Court were also rejected.

The investigation allegedly revealed that Srikanth S., who was then working as a second-division assistant in the Convict Prisoner Section, had forged a document purportedly issued by the Supreme Court. The forged order showed that the court had directed Shankar’s release on November 2, 2018.

Shankar was subsequently released from Bengaluru Central Prison on November 13, 2018.

Sexual allegation emerges

During the investigation, Parappana Agrahara police questioned Shankar’s wife, who allegedly told them that Somashekar, who was then the Chief Superintendent of the prison, had also played a role in facilitating her husband’s release.

She further alleged that Somashekar sexually exploited her in return for helping secure her husband’s release.

Police said Somashekar was taken into custody on Sunday after he allegedly refused to cooperate with the investigation and withheld relevant information. He was subsequently produced before a court, which granted the police custody for further questioning.

Police have also arrested Srikanth and Shankar's wife who were remanded to judicial custody.

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