Bengaluru: Life convict who walked out of prison using forged documents tracked down, agrees to cooperate in probe

Bengaluru: Life convict Shankar Armugam, who allegedly walked out of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison using forged court documents eight years ago, has been tracked down and has agreed to cooperate in the ongoing investigation, senior police officers said.

According to the police, Shankar, 51, a realtor-cum-plumber, recently contacted investigators by phone after a case was filed against him over the authenticity of the documents used for his prison release.

A senior police officer told DH that Shankar had assured the police that he was innocent and would appear before the investigating officers to clarify allegations that he secured his release by producing forged orders purportedly issued by the Supreme Court.

“He has spoken to the police over the phone and said he would appear before them on Wednesday and explain his side,” the officer said.

During the conversation, Shankar reportedly claimed that a similar complaint questioning the genuineness of his release order had surfaced earlier and that an inquiry had already been conducted into the matter.

Shankar maintained that he had not committed any wrongdoing and alleged that attempts were repeatedly being made to drag him into controversy despite the earlier inquiry.

The case drew attention after prison officials filed an FIR a week ago, stating that forged judicial documents were used to facilitate the release of convicts from prison. Shankar was serving life imprisonment after being convicted in a 2001 kidnapping-for-ransom case.