BENGALURU: Nine people, including three prison warders, have been arrested by the Parappana Agrahara police in three separate cases involving the illegal possession, supply and use of prohibited mobile phones inside Bengaluru Central Prison.
In the case related to former MP Prajwal Revanna, who is convicted in a rape case, the police have arrested the former MP, undertrial prisoner Prathap Rai, prison warder Prakash Mahaveer, Naveen Kumar, Manjunath, Siddiq and Mohammed Tauseef.
The case relates to a prohibited mobile phone, SIM card, charger and notebook recovered during a surprise inspection of the Security Division barracks on August 11. The material was found in the cell occupied by Prathap Rai and Prajwal Revanna. The police said a technical investigation led to the arrest of five people, who had allegedly purchased the mobile phone and SIM card and facilitated their transportation into the prison.
During interrogation, they allegedly disclosed that the phone had been smuggled into the prison through warder Mahaveer, while the SIM card had been brought inside through an undertrial prisoner. Investigators alleged that the prohibited phone and SIM card were being used by Rai and Revanna. The mobile phone seized in the case had been smuggled through prison warder Mahaveer. All accused are remanded in judicial custody.
In another case, four mobile phones, two SIM cards and a charger were recovered from the prison on January 13, 2026. Investigation revealed that two of the seized phones had been procured by Srinivas Naik, a prison warder. Police took Naik into custody. During interrogation, he allegedly admitted to purchasing the phones under the fictitious name “Rahul”. He also allegedly confessed to purchasing around 12 mobile phones in a similar manner, retaining them and illegally supplying them inside the prison.
Naik was produced before court and remanded to judicial custody. Police are continuing efforts to identify the inmates who allegedly obtained and used the prohibited phones.
In yet another case, a mobile phone and SIM card were recovered from the Central Prison on August 20. Police traced the device through technical information and its sales records, eventually identifying Bharat alias Bhuvan as the purchaser.
During questioning, the police found that the phone had been procured on the instructions of Bharat alias KTM Bharat, who is presently in judicial custody. Investigation revealed the alleged involvement of Vijay Kumar, a chief warder at the prison. Vijay was taken into custody on August 28 and he allegedly confessed to his involvement. Technical evidence and interrogation of the arrested accused have also indicated the possible involvement of KTM Bharat and other prison staff.
Prison staff were allegedly accepting Rs one lakh for supplying a mobile phone and Rs 50,000 for a SIM card to inmates inside the prison. As part of the investigation, police obtained technical details through the Central Equipment Identity Register portal to trace the mobile phones in which two SIM cards were used, the police said.