📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / NinadMysuru
Crime
Karnataka Prison DIG Arrested for Using Fake Supreme Court Order to Release 2018 Life Convict
✍️ India Today
🗓 05 Oct 2026, 07:37 PM
👁 17
A senior prison official in Karnataka has been taken into custody after investigators found he forged a Supreme Court order to secure the release of a prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018.
The Director General of Prisons (DIG) in Karnataka was arrested on suspicion of fabricating a Supreme Court order that allegedly facilitated the early release of a person convicted to life imprisonment in 2018. Law enforcement agencies said the fake order was presented to prison officials, prompting the premature discharge of the convict.
Investigators from the state police and the judiciary’s vigilance cell uncovered the forgery during a routine audit of prison releases. Forensic analysis of the document revealed inconsistencies in formatting, signature and seal, confirming it was not an authentic Supreme Court directive.
The DIG, who held a senior administrative position overseeing multiple correctional facilities, has been remanded in judicial custody pending further inquiry. Authorities have launched a broader probe to determine whether other officials were complicit or if additional inmates benefited from similar fraudulent orders.
Legal experts note that forging a Supreme Court order is a serious offence under the Indian Penal Code and may attract charges of criminal conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice. The case underscores growing concerns about corruption within the prison administration and the need for stricter oversight mechanisms.
Investigators from the state police and the judiciary’s vigilance cell uncovered the forgery during a routine audit of prison releases. Forensic analysis of the document revealed inconsistencies in formatting, signature and seal, confirming it was not an authentic Supreme Court directive.
The DIG, who held a senior administrative position overseeing multiple correctional facilities, has been remanded in judicial custody pending further inquiry. Authorities have launched a broader probe to determine whether other officials were complicit or if additional inmates benefited from similar fraudulent orders.
Legal experts note that forging a Supreme Court order is a serious offence under the Indian Penal Code and may attract charges of criminal conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice. The case underscores growing concerns about corruption within the prison administration and the need for stricter oversight mechanisms.