Pramesh S Jain
The Parappana Agrahara police have arrested a Banaswadi resident in connection with the alleged illegal supply of a mobile phone to former JD(S) MP and convicted prisoner Prajwal Revanna inside the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.
The arrested man has been identified as Naveen.
Police suspect that Naveen supplied a mobile phone through Pratap Rai,with whom he had become acquainted while serving a previous prison term in connection with a criminal case.
Senior officer told reporters that after his release from prison,Naveen allegedly supplied a mobile phone illegally to Pratap Rai.
A substantial financial transaction is also suspected to have taken place between the two in connection with the supply.
The arrest comes amid a wider investigation into the use and supply of mobile phones inside the prison.
A Central Crime Branch (CCB) raid on August 11 had led to the recovery of a light-blue Redmi 5G mobile phone from the room where Prajwal Revanna,who is serving a life sentence in a rape case,was lodged.
The password-protected phone reportedly had messaging and streaming applications installed.
Subsequent inspections ordered by Director General of Prisons Alok Kumar resulted in the recovery of additional mobile phones.
Meanwhile,two more prison officials—jailer Ramesh Dharmatti and warder Mahesh Sajjan—have been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty pending an inquiry,DG Prisons Alok Kumar said.
An assistant superintendent had earlier been suspended, while a show-cause notice was issued to the prison superintendent following the discovery of the phones.
DIG(Prisons)Jinendra Khanagavi is conducting the departmental inquiry,which is examining alleged lapses including rampant mobile phone use by inmates, prisoners not wearing uniforms and the possible involvement of prison officials.
The Parappana Agrahara police are conducting a separate investigation into the alleged mobile phone supply chain and are probing whether more people, including prison personnel,were involved in facilitating the phones inside the prison.
