Bengaluru DIG Arrested for Alleged Sexual Exploitation Case
A senior prison official faces serious allegations of soliciting sex from a convict's wife in exchange for facilitating her husband's release.
Sri Somashekar, a DIG in the Department of Prisons, has been arrested for alleged sexual exploitation.
The allegations surfaced during an investigation into a forged Supreme Court order that led to a convict's release in 2018.
Police are probing the involvement of other prison staff in the case, including forgery and misconduct.
A senior official from Bengaluru's prison department, Sri Somashekar, has been arrested following allegations of soliciting sexual favors from the wife of a life convict. The accusations emerged during an investigation into the controversial release of convict Shankar A., who was freed from Bengaluru Central Prison in November 2018 based on what has been identified as a forged Supreme Court order.
The allegations against Somashekar, who was serving as Chief Superintendent at the time of the incident, were brought to light when police questioned Shankar's wife. She claimed that Somashekar had exploited her sexually under the pretense of assisting in her husband's release. This serious claim has prompted police to delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding Shankar's release, which was facilitated by a fraudulent document.
Investigators have revealed that the release order presented to the prison was forged by a prison employee named Srikanth S. The police are currently examining how Somashekar may have been complicit in this scheme, particularly in light of the allegations made by the convict's wife. Following his arrest by the Parappana Agrahara police, Somashekar reportedly did not cooperate with the investigation and withheld crucial information.
Shankar A. was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004 by the Fast Track Court-I for a serious crime, with his conviction upheld by higher courts. The police are now focused on uncovering the full extent of the alleged misconduct within the prison system, including the roles of various officials in the forgery and the subsequent release of Shankar.
As the investigation continues, authorities are working to clarify the details surrounding the forged Supreme Court order and the implications of Somashekar's alleged actions. The case raises significant concerns about integrity and accountability within the prison system, prompting calls for a thorough review of procedures to prevent such incidents in the future.
