A high-level investigative breakthrough in Karnataka has uncovered a major breach inside the prison administration involving the illicit release of a life convict through fabricated apex court paperwork. Police have arrested Somashekhar, the former chief superintendent of Bengaluru Central Jail who is currently serving as DIG Prisons, for his alleged role in facilitating the unlawful release. The development follows a formal complaint lodged on May 20 of this year by the in-charge superintendent of Bengaluru Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara police station. The initial report flagged that convict Shankar A., who was undergoing life imprisonment, had walked out of prison on 13/11/2018 based on a forged order purportedly passed by the top court.
Trial Court Conviction and the Appeals Trail
Following the registration of the case at Parappana Agrahara police station, investigating officers traced the judicial history of convict Shankar A. The convict had faced trial before Fast Track Court-I in a case registered at Chickpet police station, which culminated on 12/07/2004 with a sentence of life imprisonment alongside a fine of ₹10,000/-. Seeking relief, Shankar A. had appealed against the verdict before the High Court of Karnataka and subsequently approached the Supreme Court. However, both higher judicial forums dismissed his pleas and upheld the life sentence imposed by the trial court, making his formal release legally impossible without lawful remissions.
Fabrication of Counterfeit Release Papers Inside Prison
As the investigation gathered pace, the probe uncovered internal complicity in orchestrating the jailbreak on paper. Srikanth S., who worked as an SDA at the time and currently serves as an FDA in the convict section of Bengaluru Central Jail, allegedly fabricated a counterfeit copy of a Supreme Court order in Shankar A.'s criminal appeal. The bogus document falsely claimed that the highest court had granted a release order on 02/11/2018. Banking on this forged communication, authorities at the central jail permitted Shankar A. to walk out as a free man on 13/11/2018.
Severe Allegations and Initial Court Proceedings
The investigation broadened to examine the underlying transactions behind the illegal discharge, leading officers to question the wife of the released convict. During questioning, she alleged that the chief superintendent at the time had directly facilitated her husband's discharge from the central jail and demanded sexual favors in return, allegations that remain under active official verification. Two accused persons connected to the operation were subsequently presented before the court, which remanded them into judicial custody.
Concealment of Evidence and DIG Remanded to Police Custody
Further inquiry revealed that Somashekhar, who headed the facility as chief superintendent during the incident and is now serving as DIG in the Department of Prisons and Correctional Services, deliberately withheld crucial information and failed to cooperate with investigators. Consequently, law enforcement officials detained him on 04/10/2026 and produced him before the court. The court granted police custody of Somashekhar until October 9 to facilitate interrogation and uncover the complete sequence of events behind the forged release.
