Karnataka: Life-term convict secures freedom after paying Rs 1.1 lakh earned as prison cook

Prison

After spending 12 years behind bars, freedom came with a price tag for 68-year-old murder convict Durgappa—Rs 1.1 lakh.

He was finally released from Kalaburagi Central Jail in Karnataka last Thursday, thanks to his own hard-earned money.

A farm labourer from Jantapur village in Raichur district, Durgappa, was convicted in 2013 for murdering his wife in 2012. The Raichur Sessions Court sentenced him to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1.1 lakh. In case he failed to pay the fine, he faced an additional 18 months in prison.

According to a Times of India report, the unpaid fine delayed his freedom, though he was eligible for early release in November 2024 due to good behavior. Without family or financial resources outside prison, Durgappa's situation seemed hopeless—until his prison job came to the rescue.

Durgappa had been working as a cook in prison for years. Initially, prison wages were meager, just Rs 100 to Rs 150 per day. However, after the Karnataka government increased daily wages to Rs 524, his earnings quietly grew. Unaware of how much he had saved, Durgappa had nearly Rs 2.8 lakh in his prison account.

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When prison officials got to know about this, Kalaburagi jail chief superintendent R Anitha stepped in to help. She took Durgappa to an SBI branch in Kalaburagi, where he withdrew Rs 1.1 lakh. Accompanied by two jail staff, he travelled to the Raichur Sessions Court on Thursday to pay the fine.

The court then ordered his immediate release.

Durgappa’s story highlights the importance of prison labour reforms and rehabilitation programs. His unexpected, self-funded freedom is a reminder of how even small changes in prison policies can have a life-changing impact.