New Delhi: Eight years after a life convict walked out of Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Prison with what authorities believed was a Supreme Court release order, prison officials have discovered that the ‘court documents’ may have been forged—triggering a fresh FIR, a hunt for the ex-convict, and scrutiny of how ‘hand-delivered’ papers slipped past official checks in one of Karnataka’s most secure prisons.
A few days ago, Alok Kumar, DG Prisons, Karnataka, received a petition about an ex-convict released by the high-security jail in 2018.
“The petitioner informed that Shankar Armugam, an ex-convict, had been wrongfully released by the prison department and that he had produced fake documents,” another official said. On receiving the petition, the prison authorities revisited the case. According to the case file, Shankar was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Fast Track Court-I in Bengaluru under section 364A of the IPC (kidnapping for ransom), along with charges under section 120 B (criminal conspiracy).
According to the petitioner, whose name the police did not share, informed the authorities that Shankar had produced “forged documents” which purported that the Supreme Court had ordered his release for a fine of Rs 10,000.
A senior Bengaluru police official aware of the matter told ThePrint that unlike other court orders that are delivered to prison authorities electronically, Shankar’s release documents were “hand delivered” to the prison authorities. He was subsequently released on 13 November 2018.
“We scanned the release documents and cross-checked the order number with the court authorities who informed us that no such release order had been issued and that the documents on the basis of which Shankar was released were forged,” said the official.
He added that all orders from the apex court are always electronically transmitted through official channels and never through postal services. “There have been serious lapses by the officials posted at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in verifying the documents and in following necessary checks before releasing the convict,” said the official. The police have begun a fresh probe to ascertain the complicity of prison officials.
The police have also registered a fresh FIR on the complaint of Karna B. Kshatri, superintendent in-charge of the central prison. As per his complaint, convict no. 12503, Shankar A., was sentenced by Bengaluru Fastrack court-I to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 (in default to undergo six months of imprisonment). “The court had ordered both orders to run concurrently and directed to consider the trial period,” the FIR accessed by ThePrint read.
“Regarding an order passed on 2.11.2018 by the Honourable Supreme Court in Criminal Appeal No. 6447/2014, a letter from the Honourable Supreme Court bearing D.No. 4126/2014/SC II-C dated 13.11.2018 was received at this office on 13.11.2018. On the same day this convict paid Rs 10,000 and was released from this prison,” the FIR read.
The police have booked him under section 465 (forgery), 466 (forgery of court records), 468 (forgery committed with the intention to cheat), 471 (dishonest use of forged document), 472 (making or using counterfeit seals) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC.
Efforts are also underway to trace and secure the convict, who has remained outside prison since 2018.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)