Just days after govt.’s tough message, mobile phones ring again at Central Prison

A raid by the city police on the Central Prison Complex at Parappana Agrahara on Sunday led to the seizure of 15 mobile phones, chargers, knives, cash, drugs and various other goods.

A raid by the city police on the Central Prison Complex at Parappana Agrahara on Sunday led to the seizure of 15 mobile phones, chargers, knives, cash, drugs and various other goods.

This comes two weeks after nine prison officials, including the chief superintendent, were suspended and a new set of officials posted over preferential treatment given to actor Darshan and other rowdy sheeters in the jail.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara had promised that the security at the prison would be overhauled.

However, this had not put a stop to the irregularities inside the prison. A few days ago, a visitor who had come to meet an undertrial was caught red-handed trying to smuggle 46 gm of MDMA. Another inmate had recently ransacked a room in the prison and behaving violently, raising suspicion that he was under the influence of either alcohol or narcotics.

Alarmed by this, the southeast division police, probing the alleged irregularities at the prison, conducted the raid in the morning. Barracks including those housing rowdy sheeters Wilson Garden Naga and others seen with Darshan were searched and goods recovered, sources said. 

The seized electronic gadgets and mobile phones are being verified and prison officials in charge of the security would also be questioned, a senior city police official said.

“There is a very strong network of prison officials and the inmates which has become almost impossible to break. Two weeks after the recent fiasco, all prohibited items are available with the inmates,” a senior official said.