Bengaluru: Karnataka Police Deputy Inspector General M. Somasekhar has been arrested in connection with an alleged fake Supreme Court order that was used to secure the release of a life-term prisoner from Bengaluru Central Jail.
Somasekhar was the Chief Superintendent of Bengaluru Central Jail when the alleged fraudulent release took place. He is currently serving as the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons in Kalaburagi.
Parappana Agrahara Police arrested Somasekhar after investigators allegedly found evidence indicating his involvement in the case. Police also accused him of withholding information and not cooperating during the initial investigation.
He was produced before the 9th ACJM Court in Bengaluru on Monday and was remanded to police custody until October 9 for further questioning.
Fake Supreme Court Order Used to Release Prisoner
The case centres on a prisoner identified as Shankar, who was serving a life sentence.
According to the police, Shankar was released from Bengaluru Central Jail on November 13, 2018, after allegedly presenting a forged Supreme Court order to prison authorities.
The alleged order purportedly showed that the Supreme Court had granted him relief from his sentence. Shankar allegedly paid the ₹10,000 fine imposed in his original case and was subsequently released from prison.
Investigators later discovered that the Supreme Court order was not genuine.
Who Is Shankar?
Police said Shankar had been accused in a 2001 kidnapping and extortion case.
In 2004, a Fast Track Special Court convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment, along with a ₹10,000 fine.
Shankar challenged the conviction before the Karnataka High Court and subsequently approached the Supreme Court. Both courts rejected his appeals, according to the police.
Investigators suspect that after the legal challenges failed, a plan was allegedly devised to create a fake Supreme Court order and use it to obtain his release.
How Was the Fraud Discovered?
The alleged fraud came to light nearly eight years after Shankar’s release.
The prison department received an anonymous letter alleging that a fake Supreme Court order had been prepared to secure Shankar’s release.
Following the complaint, prison authorities examined the matter and sent a copy of the purported Supreme Court order to the Registrar of the Supreme Court for verification.
The document was subsequently confirmed to be fake, according to the police.
Following the confirmation, K.B. Kshetri, who was serving as the officer in charge of Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, filed a complaint against Shankar at Parappana Agrahara Police Station.
Shankar Arrested in Mysuru
Police registered a case and arrested Shankar in Mysuru in June.
During questioning, investigators allegedly obtained information that led them to another suspect, Srikant, a First Division Assistant currently working in the section dealing with convicted prisoners at the central jail.
Srikant was subsequently arrested for allegedly helping prepare or facilitate the fake order.
Further investigation reportedly led police to examine the role of Somasekhar, who was the Chief Superintendent of Bengaluru Central Jail at the time Shankar was released.
Why Was DIG Somasekhar Arrested?
Police said Somasekhar is the third accused arrested in the case.
Investigators allegedly found information suggesting that he had knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Shankar’s release. Police also said that Shankar’s wife told investigators that the then jail superintendent had played a role in securing her husband’s release.
Based on the information gathered during the investigation, police took Somasekhar into custody on October 4 and questioned him.
Senior police officials said he was subsequently arrested after investigators alleged that he had withheld information connected with the case and had not fully cooperated with the investigation.
A senior police officer said:
“Somasekhar is the third accused in this case. The investigation is continuing.”
He was produced before the court and sent to police custody until October 9.
Allegations of Sexual Abuse Also Under Investigation
During the investigation, police also reportedly received allegations that both accused had sexually exploited Shankar’s wife.
Police said the information emerged during the course of the investigation and that the allegations are now being examined separately.
Investigators are attempting to establish the complete sequence of events, identify the role of every person involved and determine how the alleged forged Supreme Court order was prepared and subsequently used to secure Shankar’s release.
Investigation Underway
The case has raised serious questions about how a purported Supreme Court order could be presented before prison authorities and result in the release of a convict serving a life sentence.
Investigators are now examining the preparation of the alleged forged document, its movement through the prison system, the role of the accused and the circumstances under which Shankar was released in 2018.
With Somasekhar now in police custody until October 9, investigators are expected to question him about the alleged fake order, the prison records surrounding Shankar’s release and the involvement of other individuals.
The police investigation is ongoing, and the allegations against the accused remain subject to the judicial process.
