Prisons chief orders inquiry into mobile phone found with Prajwal Revanna in Bengaluru jail
Director-General of Prisons and Correctional Services Alok Kumar has ordered a departmental inquiry to trace the origin of a mobile phone and SIM card allegedly used by former Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna inside Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara. Revanna is an accused in a sexual assault case and has been in judicial custody.
Describing the incident as serious, Kumar said preliminary findings revealed that the SIM card had been active since March, raising concerns about how such devices and communication facilities were accessed inside the high-security prison. It was also found that during recent raids by the Central Crime Branch (CCB), some prison staff may have tipped off inmates before the search operations, he added.
The departmental 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. The investigation will also look into possible security lapses and the effectiveness of existing surveillance mechanisms.
Despite the installation of high-tech signal jammers, the use of mobile phones inside prisons continues to pose a challenge. 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 connections issued in Andhra Pradesh. The Prisons Department has sought details from the telecom operator and indicated that accountability would be fixed after verifying the subscriber information. The service provider will be booked if found negligent.
Kumar confirmed that Revanna was not wearing the prescribed prison uniform at the time of the CCB raid. Soon after the 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 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 inquiry is expected to examine security lapses, the effectiveness of jamming systems, and the possible involvement of prison personnel in facilitating the entry and use of prohibited devices. Further action will be taken based on the findings.
