BENGALURU: The investigation into the alleged release of a life convict from Parappana Agrahara Central Prison using a forged Supreme Court order has taken a dramatic turn, with police arresting M. Somashekar, who was the chief superintendent of the prison when the incident occurred in 2018.
Somashekar, who is currently serving as a Deputy Inspector General in the Prisons and Correctional Services Department, has been accused of having a role in the illegal release of convict S. Shankar. Police have also uncovered an alleged sexual-exploitation angle during the investigation, based on the statement of Shankar’s wife.
According to senior police officials, Shankar’s wife told investigators that Somashekar had allegedly helped secure her husband’s release and that there had been an arrangement involving sexual exploitation. Police are now examining the allegation along with the evidence collected in connection with the forged court order.
The allegation is that Shankar had allegedly entered into a “deal” with Somashekar and that the prison official sexually exploited his wife in return for helping facilitate his release. Police are verifying the statement and investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged arrangement.
Parappana Agrahara police arrested Somashekar on October 4. He was subsequently produced before a court and remanded to police custody until October 9. Investigators are questioning him about the forged judicial document, the procedure followed before Shankar’s release and his alleged interaction with the convict and his family.
The case dates back to 2018, when Shankar, a life convict, was released from Parappana Agrahara Central Prison on November 13 based on what was presented to prison authorities as a Supreme Court order.
Shankar had been convicted in a kidnapping-for-ransom case. According to police, Chickpet police registered the case, and a fast-track court sentenced him to life imprisonment and fined him Rs 10,000. His challenges against the conviction and sentence before the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court were unsuccessful.
Despite this, prison authorities later produced a purported Supreme Court order indicating that his criminal appeal had been allowed and that he could be released. Police suspect that the document was fabricated and deliberately prepared to create the impression that the apex court had ordered Shankar’s release.
Shankar was subsequently released from prison after reportedly paying the fine the court imposed.
Police said the forged document was allegedly prepared with the assistance of prison employee S. Srikanth. At the time, Srikanth was working as a second division assistant and was associated with the Convict Prisoner Section. He is currently working as a first division assistant.
The alleged forgery remained undetected for several years. The matter came to the attention of prison authorities after an anonymous communication raised questions over the authenticity of the order used to secure Shankar’s release.
The authorities then sent the suspicious document to the Supreme Court for verification. The verification reportedly established that the order was not genuine. Following this, prison officials initiated a fresh inquiry into how a forged judicial document had been accepted and used to release a life convict.
Prison authorities later lodged a complaint with the Parappana Agrahara police. A police team began investigating the origin of the forged order, the persons involved in preparing it and the officials who processed the document before Shankar was released.
Investigators subsequently arrested Shankar in Mysuru in June as part of the probe. During questioning, police obtained information that allegedly pointed towards the involvement of other persons, including Srikanth.
Police later arrested Srikanth based on the information gathered during the investigation. Police said questioning the accused and examining related documents led investigators to examine Somashekar’s role more closely.
According to the police, Shankar’s wife also provided information concerning the then chief superintendent’s alleged involvement in her husband’s release. Her statement became an important part of the investigation into Somashekar’s alleged role.
Police have alleged that Somashekar did not fully cooperate with investigators and withheld information relating to the case. Investigators are examining whether he knowingly accepted or processed the forged Supreme Court order and whether he knew the document was not genuine.
The sexual-exploitation allegation has added another serious dimension to the case. Police are investigating the claim that the official allegedly exploited Shankar’s wife and that the alleged relationship was connected to assistance provided for Shankar’s release.
The allegations against Somashekar have not been established in court and remain subject to investigation. Police are expected to verify the woman’s statement against documentary, electronic and other evidence collected during the probe.
