Officials and security personnel of the Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara are in the dock due to alleged corrupt activities inside the prison.
Based on an exposé aired by regional media, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and the Director General of Prisons Alok Mohan have sought details from officials concerned and promised to initiate action. An internal inquiry was ordered on Wednesday.
According to the report, the inmates pay the security staff to get cigarettes, liquor, non-veg and food from outside, mobile phones and even contraband. The report alleged that inmates have to pay hefty amounts to stay in a cell that has all the facilities like a stove, water heater, fan and even a separate washroom.
The city police had earlier carried out raids and confiscated mobile phones which were being operated from inside the prison for illegal activities. Though there are jammers, the exposé alleged that the prison staff deactivated them to help the inmates make calls.
The Central Prison, which is one of the largest in the country, has been under the scanner earlier too. Senior IPS officer D. Roopa, formerly DIG (Prisons), too had earlier reported to the government alleging that prison officials were providing facilities to VIP inmates, including expelled AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala and fake stamp paper racket kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi.
