DG Prisons orders probe into source of mobile phone used by Prajwal Revanna inside Bengaluru jail

Director-General of Prisons and Correctional Services Alok Kumar has ordered a departmental inquiry to trace the source of the mobile phone and SIM card allegedly used by former Hassan MP and convicted sexual assault accused Prajwal Revanna inside Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara.

Describing the incident as “very unfortunate” and serious in nature, he said preliminary findings revealed that the SIM card had been active since this March, raising concerns over how the device and communication facilities were accessed inside the high-security prison. It was found that during the raids some prison staff may have tipped off the inmates before the raids and search operations to save them.

The 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.

Despite the installation of high-tech signal jammers, the use of mobile phones inside prisons continues to pose a challenge, the DG said. 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 verification of the subscriber information and the service provider will be booked .

The DG confirmed that Prajwal was not wearing the prescribed prison uniform at the time of the CCB raid.

Soon after the CCB 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 departmental inquiry is expected to examine security lapses, the effectiveness of existing surveillance and jamming systems, and the possible involvement of prison personnel in facilitating the entry and use of prohibited devices.