Karnataka prison official arrested for forgery and exploitation

Police in Karnataka have arrested a senior prison official and a convict in connection with a scheme involving the forgery of a Supreme Court order to secure a prisoner's release.

M Somashekar, the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons for the North Range, was arrested for allegedly authorizing the release of life convict Shankar A Aradhya from Bengaluru Central Prison in 2018 despite knowing the release order was fake.

Investigations revealed that Srikanth S, a prison employee, allegedly forged the Supreme Court document. Furthermore, police allege that Somashekar sexually exploited the convict’s wife as part of a deal to facilitate the release. The wife reportedly paid Rs 6 lakh toward an initial demand of Rs 12 lakh to secure her husband's freedom.

The case was brought to light in May following a complaint by the current superintendent-in-charge of the prison after discovering the fraudulent documentation.