Three prison warders have been suspended and a formal investigation launched following the release of unauthorized cell phone footage recorded by undertrial prisoners inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru.
The disciplinary action, ordered by Director General of Police (Prisons) Alok Kumar, follows the publication of three video clips by a local news portal on Saturday morning.
The footage purportedly shows inmates making provocative claims regarding their access to mobile devices and discussing an upcoming IPL match between RCB and SRH on March 28 in the city. They are heard saying that RCB would win and “eesala nu cup namde” (“This year also, the cup is ours.”)
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Allegations against senior officials In the recordings, prisoners — identified by authorities as Darshan and Abhi, suspects in the Hennur Bande murder case — alleged that senior prison officials provided them with mobile phones. The prison department has issued a firm denial regarding these claims, characterizing the prisoners' statements as a targeted attempt to undermine the DGP.
Disciplinary Action The three personnel suspended in connection with the security breach are Niranjan Kamath (Jail Warder), Hanumantappa Hadpad (Jail Warder), and Shivanand Karlabatti (Jail Warder). In addition to the warders, the Jailer on supervisory duty during the recording and staff members working the night of March 27 have been flagged for administrative action.
The voice heard in the clips has been identified as of inmate Zypsin Daniel.
"Three warders, Niranjan Kamath, Hanumantappa Hadpad and Shivanand Karlabatti are being placed under suspension for dereliction of duty," Alok Kumar told PTI.
"One of our media friends shared those clippings with me. Chief Superintendent Anshu Kumar, and his team found out the mischief mongers and seized the mobile phones which were hidden inside the pipe in the toilet chamber," said Kumar.
A formal complaint has been registered at the Parappana Agrahara Police Station against the involved prisoners.
DGP Alok Kumar said that the incident underscores the persistent challenge of controlling mobile connectivity within the facility.
"To derail the process of reform, these prisoners deliberately shared the clippings with the media to bring a bad name and to demoralise the top hierarchy of the Prison and Correctional Services department," he said.
Investigations are ongoing to determine exactly how the devices were smuggled into the high-security blocks.
"Presence of Airtel signal has been found in some parts of the prison. We are issuing a warning to them to take adequate measures to rectify the issue," Kumar further said.