SHIVAMOGGA: Prison authorities at the Shivamogga Central Prison foiled two back-to-back attempts to smuggle ganja into the facility. The staff seized 123 grams of ganja and 40 cigarettes hidden inside banana stems on Wednesday.
The next day, 170 grams of ganja were seized from prison staffer Satwik (25) during a routine check. Both cases were registered at Tunganagar Police Station.
The first incident occurred at around 2:15 pm on Wednesday when an auto driver delivered five banana bunches at the main gate, claiming they had been sent on the instructions of the prison canteen staff. A team led by KSISF inspector Jagadish, along with PSI Prabhu S and staff members Praveen and Nirupabai, checked the bunches and found that the banana stems had been hollowed out. Officers recovered 123 grams of ganja and 40 cigarettes wrapped in tape and hidden inside the stems. The auto driver left immediately after dropping off the load, and police said efforts to trace those involved are underway.
The following day, at about 10:20 am, the KSISF team intercepted Satwik, an SDA posted at the prison, when he arrived for duty. During a routine check, personnel found 170 grams of ganja concealed inside his innerwear and wrapped in gum tape. Satwik was taken into custody.
In both cases, a complaint was filed by Dr Ranganath, chief superintendent of the Central Prison, and Tunganagar Police registered cases. The offences were booked under Section 42 of the Karnataka Prison Act (Amendment) and Section 20(b)(II)(A) of the NDPS Act. Police said investigations into both incidents are in progress.