# Karnataka Prisons DIG Somashekhar Arrested for Releasing Life Convict on Forged Supreme Court Order > Police have taken Karnataka Prisons DIG Somashekhar into custody following an inquiry into the fraudulent release of a life convict using a counterfeit court document. **Type:** article · **Category:** India · **Published:** 2026-10-05 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/national/karnataka-men-pharji-adalati-adesha-se-umrakaida-ke-mujarima-ko-chhuravane-para-karagara-dig-somashekhar-giraphtara-43486 · **Language:** English **Tags:** Karnataka Police, Bengaluru Central Jail, Somashekhar, Parappana Agrahara, Prison Administration, Document Forgery 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. ## What this means for you The exposure of forged judicial documents used to release a murder convict raises immediate concerns regarding prison administration integrity. - **Across India:** The incident highlights structural vulnerabilities in how prison systems authenticate apex court directives before releasing inmates. State prison directorates across the country may mandate real-time digital verification channels directly linked with court registries. - **In Karnataka:** The arrest of a serving senior officer underscores serious lapses in supervisory control across state correctional facilities. Bengaluru Central Jail and similar institutions will likely face comprehensive scrutiny and cross-audits of past release files. - **Judicial Oversight:** The case demonstrates the urgent necessity of paperless, digitally signed judicial communications to eliminate intermediary forgery risks. Trial courts and appellate benches may require mandatory automated verification before execution of release orders. - **Administrative Accountability:** Allegations of serious misconduct and coercion involving prison brass increase pressure for independent vigilance oversight. Supervisory personnel will face stricter compliance protocols when processing legal releases. ## Why this happened The incident unfolded when prison staff created a counterfeit Supreme Court order to orchestrate the premature release of an inmate whose judicial appeals had failed. - **Direct Trigger:** An administrative employee, Srikanth S., forged an appellate order supposedly passed by the Supreme Court on 02/11/2018 that sanctioned the discharge of convict Shankar A. Relying on this fraudulent paper, the jail allowed the life convict to leave custody on 13/11/2018. - **Judicial Background:** The convict was awarded life imprisonment along with a fine of ₹10,000/- on 12/07/2004 by Fast Track Court-I. With both the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court subsequently affirming the conviction, legal release was entirely unavailable. - **Internal Collusion and Concealment:** Somashekhar, then serving as chief superintendent, failed to cooperate with the police probe and suppressed vital information. Furthermore, specific allegations by the convict's wife concerning sexual favors in exchange for release assistance are currently undergoing investigation. - **Current Trajectory:** Investigators secured Somashekhar's custody until October 9 to determine the complete chain of complicity and trace how the fabricated decree was processed. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. Why was DIG Somashekhar arrested by the police? He was arrested for concealing evidence and facilitating the unlawful release of a life convict using a forged Supreme Court order during his tenure as jail chief superintendent. ### 2. What was the original conviction of inmate Shankar A.? In a case from Chickpet police station, Fast Track Court-I sentenced Shankar A. on 12/07/2004 to life imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000/-. ### 3. What was the outcome of Shankar A.'s appeals before higher courts? Both the High Court of Karnataka and the Supreme Court rejected his appeals, upholding the trial court's life sentence. ### 4. Who allegedly created the counterfeit court order? Investigation revealed that Srikanth S., who was then an SDA and is currently an FDA in the convict section, fabricated the fake Supreme Court order. ### 5. How long has DIG Somashekhar been remanded to police custody? The court granted police custody of Somashekhar until October 9 for continued interrogation. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._