Pramesh S Jain
Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Alok Kumar has ordered a departmental inquiry to trace the source of the mobile phone and SIM card allegedly used by former Hassan MP and convicted sexual assault accused Prajwal Revanna inside Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara.
Describing the incident as”very unfortunate”and serious in nature,Alok Kumar said preliminary findings revealed that the SIM card allegedly used by Prajwal had been active since March this year,raising concerns over how the device and communication facilities were accessed inside the high-security prison.
The inquiry will focus on identifying those responsible for smuggling mobile phones and other electronic devices into the prison and determining whether prison staff facilitated their use.
Despite the installation of high-tech signal jammers,the use of mobile phones inside prisons continues to pose a challenge, the DG Prisons said.
Authorities have identified certain blind spots where mobile signals remain accessible and have requested the telecom department to rectify the issue.
Officials have also found that some of the active SIM cards being used inside the prison were Airtel connections issued in Andhra Pradesh.
The prison department has sought details from the telecom operator and indicated that accountability would be fixed after verification of the subscriber information.
Alok Kumar said prison authorities have been carrying out regular searches and surprise inspections.In fact, two mobile phones had been seized during internal inspections even before the recent raid conducted by the Central Crime Branch (CCB).
The DG confirmed that Prajwal was not wearing the prescribed prison uniform at the time of the CCB raid.
Following complaints regarding the violation and the apparent failure of prison staff to monitor the inmate, Assistant Superintendent of Prison,Iranna Rangapur was placed under suspension pending inquiry.
A show-cause notice has also been issued to the Superintendent of Bengaluru Central Prison.
Soon after the CCB operation,prison officials conducted extensive searches across the jail,including the barrack housing actor Darshan and other high-profile inmates, but no additional contraband was found.
According to prison department data,nearly 300 mobile phones have been seized from prisons across Karnataka since the beginning of this year.
Officials suspect that several more devices may still be operational inside prison premises despite repeated crackdowns.
The departmental inquiry is expected to examine security lapses,the effectiveness of existing surveillance and jamming systems,and the possible involvement of prison personnel in facilitating the entry and use of prohibited devices.
