Bengaluru, May 24: A significant fraud case has emerged from Karnataka’s prison system. Authorities have discovered that an inmate serving a life sentence managed to secure his release from Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Bengaluru nearly eight years ago. The inmate allegedly used forged documents purportedly issued by the Supreme Court to facilitate his release.
This incident has raised serious concerns within the prison department, prompting an investigation into potential collusion, negligence, and procedural errors that may have allowed the release of the convict. The inmate, identified as Shankar Arumugam, was serving a life sentence for a kidnapping case involving ransom from 2001.
Officials reported that he was released on November 13, 2018. At the time of his release, he submitted documents that allegedly indicated he had received relief from the Supreme Court. Jail officials reportedly verified the documents he submitted and released him after he paid a fine of 10,000 rupees mentioned in the supposed court order.
The case recently came to light following a complaint received by the Director General of Prisons. The complaint alleged that Shankar had fraudulently secured his release by presenting a fake Supreme Court order. Following this complaint, prison officials initiated an internal investigation.
During the investigation, officials contacted the office of the Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court in New Delhi to verify the documents. They later discovered that the order presented by the convict was indeed forged and had no official connection to the Supreme Court.
According to prison officials, Shankar Arumugam was convicted by Bengaluru’s Fast Track Court-I under IPC Section 364A for kidnapping for ransom and Section 120B for criminal conspiracy. The court had ordered that both sentences run concurrently.
This case raises questions about how fake legal documents passed through the prison’s official processes unnoticed. It remains unclear whether someone within the prison system aided or overlooked this fraud.
Based on the investigation’s findings, the Parappana Agrahara police have registered an FIR under charges of forgery, creating and using fake documents, and fraud.
Authorities are currently working to locate and re-arrest the convict. Investigators are also examining the potential involvement of individuals who may have assisted in the preparation of the forged documents and his illegal release from prison. The investigation is ongoing.
DGP Alok Kumar stated, “An FIR has been registered at the Parappana Agrahara police station regarding the fraud and document tampering case involving life-sentenced inmate Shankar Arumugam.” He added, “This FIR was filed nearly eight years later, based on an anonymous letter received in my office. A DIG (South) conducted an inquiry in this regard, and the FIR was registered based on their report.”
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