Bengaluru, September 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Bengaluru police have busted an alleged network involved in the illegal procurement, smuggling and use of prohibited mobile phones inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, arresting nine people in three separate cases, including two prison warders.
The investigation revealed that a mobile phone was allegedly smuggled into the prison through a warder, while a SIM card was brought inside through an undertrial prisoner. Police said the SIM and phone were allegedly used by undertrial prisoner Prathap Rai and convicted former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.
A surprise inspection on August 11 led to the recovery of a prohibited mobile phone, SIM card, charger and notebook from the cell occupied by Rai and Revanna. Police said technical data and interrogation of the accused subsequently helped establish the alleged route through which the devices entered the prison.
Rai and Revanna were produced before a court on September 8 and were taken into police custody for three days for questioning. Following a court order on September 10, both were sent back to prison.
Three Cases Under Investigation
The first case was registered after prison authorities recovered four mobile phones, two SIM cards and a charger on January 13. Police traced the mobile numbers associated with the two Airtel SIM cards and used technical information obtained through the CEIR portal to identify the devices in which they had been used.
The probe led investigators to Srinivas Naik, a warder at the Central Prison, who was taken into custody on August 28. During questioning, he allegedly admitted to purchasing two phones under the fictitious name “Rahul”. Police said Naik also confessed to purchasing around 12 mobile phones in a similar manner, keeping them in his possession and illegally supplying them inside the prison.
In the second case, police traced a mobile phone and SIM card recovered from inside the prison on August 20 through technical details and the device’s sale records. Investigators found that the phone had initially been sold to an agency in Andhra Pradesh before being traced to Bharat alias Bhuvan, who had purchased it.
Further questioning allegedly revealed the involvement of Bharat alias KTM Bharat, who is currently in judicial custody at the Central Prison, and Vijay Kumar, a chief warder. Vijay Kumar was taken into custody on August 28 and allegedly confessed to his involvement. Police said technical evidence also pointed to the possible involvement of other prison staff.
In the third case, investigators found that the seized mobile phone had allegedly been brought into the prison by a warder, while the SIM card was brought in through an undertrial prisoner.
Naveen Kumar, Manjunath, Prakash, Siddiq and Mohammed Tauseef were arrested at different stages of the investigation and later remanded to judicial custody following interrogation.
Police said the probe is continuing to identify other inmates and prison staff allegedly involved in the illegal procurement, smuggling, supply and use of prohibited mobile phones inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.
The three cases were detected by the Parappana Agrahara Police Station team under the guidance of M. Narayan, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Electronic City Division, and the leadership of Satish K.M., Assistant Commissioner of Police, Electronic City Sub-Division.
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