Bengaluru: A major twist has emerged in the case involving the arrest of Jail DIG Somashekhar. Police investigations have revealed that M. Somashekhar, a DIG in the Karnataka Prisons Department, illegally released life convict Shankar Armugam from prison by creating a fake Supreme Court release order—an act driven by his infatuation with a woman.
What is the case about?
Shankar Armugam, a native of Tamil Nadu, and his gang had kidnapped an individual for money in 2001. Following a trial, the court sentenced Shankar to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹10,000 in 2004. Although he appealed the verdict in both the High Court and the Supreme Court, his conviction was upheld in both instances. However, even after the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal, a forged copy of a Supreme Court order was created with the assistance of jail staff member Srikanth and Jail DIG Somashekhar. This forged document—bearing fake signatures and seals—falsely stated that the convict was to be released upon payment of the ₹10,000 fine. Believing these forged documents to be genuine, prison officials released Shankar from custody on November 13, 2018, after collecting a fine of ₹10,000.
However, the Director General of Prisons recently (in May 2026) received an anonymous complaint regarding this illegal release. When prison officials contacted the Supreme Court’s Assistant Registrar to verify the documents, it was confirmed that the Court had issued no such order and that the documents were entirely fake. Consequently, a case was registered at the Parappana Agrahara police station for fraud, document tampering, and criminal conspiracy. Following this, the prisoner, Shankar Armugam (a resident of Mysuru), and prison staff member Srikanth were arrested on September 15. In a further development, the Parappana Agrahara police have now arrested Prison DIG Somashekhar.
Shocking Revelation During Investigation
A shocking fact emerged when the police recorded the statement of prisoner Shankar’s wife during the investigation; it was confirmed that SDA Srikanth and Somashekhar—who was the prison chief at the time—had sexually exploited the helpless woman after promising to secure her husband’s release from prison. Meanwhile, it is alleged that prior to the Supreme Court order for the release of the prisoner Shankar, several irregular acts had already taken place. Specifically, Shankar was granted parole three times in 2018—for 15 days on each occasion—in complete disregard of the rules. The then-prison chief, Somashekhar, failed to follow any of the mandatory official procedures required for granting parole.