Following the circulation of viral videos showing inmates at Bengaluru Central Jail using mobile phones, dancing, and allegedly receiving preferential treatment, the Prison Chief Superintendent has been transferred, while two other officials have been suspended, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said on Monday (November 10).
Also read | Bengaluru prison under scanner after videos show inmates using phones; probe ordered
The prison authorities had initiated a probe on Saturday after the videos first surfaced. Reacting to reports of VIP treatment inside the jail, Parameshwara had stated, “I won’t tolerate it.”
Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Jail came under scrutiny on Sunday after a video surfaced showing inmates freely using mobile phones, watching television, and moving about, raising serious concerns about security lapses and special privileges.
Among those seen in the video were alleged ISIS recruiter Zuhaib Hameed Shakeel Manna and a serial rapist and killer, along with several other notorious criminals. In the minute-long clip, Manna, a Bengaluru resident, was seen sipping tea and scrolling through a phone while speaking to the person recording the video. According to The Indian Express, Manna, a computer application specialist, had been booked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his links with the banned terror outfit ISIS, accused of raising funds and recruiting vulnerable Muslim youth to join the group in Syria.
Another clip showed serial rape and murder accused Umesh Reddy using three mobile phones inside the prison. Reports suggest that jail staff were aware of the presence of phones and a television within the premises.
Also read | After viral mobile video, Bengaluru jail inmates seen partying with liquor, snacks
A separate video that later went viral depicted inmates hosting a lavish party inside the jail, complete with alcohol, snacks, and dancing. The visuals showed disposable glasses filled with liquor, plates of cut fruits and fried peanuts arranged neatly, and four small liquor bottles placed in a row. Some inmates were seen dancing to the sound of banging utensils, further intensifying the controversy over mismanagement and security lapses within the prison.
