BENGALURU: Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday said the state government has received citizen complaints about disrupted mobile network services in neighbourhoods surrounding Mangaluru District Prison, attributing it to signal jammers operating inside the facility.
In a post on X, Kharge said a joint technical survey had already been carried out, after which the agency concerned adjusted the antenna configuration and jamming strength to contain the interference. He added that authorities are working with telecom service providers on further technical measures aimed at ensuring the jammers continue to serve their security function inside the prison while reducing disruption in surrounding areas.
The complaints echo long-running grievances from Mangaluru residents, businesses and institutions near the prison. Locals have reported dropped calls, failed UPI transactions and lost internet access within a radius of 1-3 km of the jail, particularly after jammers were upgraded to counter 5G-enabled phones. BJP workers, led by a local MLA, reportedly stormed the prison premises earlier this year, demanding the jammers be deactivated, and the Mangalore Bar Association moved the Karnataka High Court over interference affecting the nearby district court complex.
The state government is treating the issue as a technical calibration problem — balancing prison security needs against the residents’ connectivity concerns -- rather than remove the jammers altogether.
S V RAMACHANDRA GOWDA CONFERRED ‘SON OF THE SOIL’ TITLE
Bengaluru: Chairman of Trilife Hospitals S V Ramachandra Gowda (Seekal Ramachandra Gowda) was conferred the title ‘Son of the Soil’ by the Vokkaliga Yuva Brigade at the SJCIT College auditorium in Chikkaballapur. The award was presented in the presence of Sri Sri Sri Nirmalananda Swami, Sri Sri Mangalānanda Swami and Sri Sri Soumyananda Swami on the occasion of the birth anniversary remembrance of His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Balagangadharanatha Swami.
