2 weeks ago
Rape convict ex-MP Prajwal Revanna found with smartphone in prison
Prajwal Revanna is a former member of Parliament in India who is in prison for committing a very serious crime.
People in prison are not allowed to have mobile phones.
During a search, guards found a smartphone in his room that had apps like Netflix, Instagram, WhatsApp and Prime Video on it.
They also found a charger, a notebook and a pen drive.
A video showed Revanna wearing his own clothes while talking on the phone, which is against prison rules.
The police want to find out who gave him the phone and how it got inside the jail.
They say the phone had been in the prison since March and someone recently changed its SIM card.
Some prison officers who were supposed to watch him have been suspended or warned.
Many other phones have been found in this prison recently, and the machines that block phone signals do not work in some spots.
The police chief says this is embarrassing and that whoever is responsible will face strict action.
A CCB search of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison on Tuesday led to the seizure of a smartphone with Netflix, Instagram, WhatsApp and Prime Video, plus a charger, notebook and pen drive, from Prajwal Revanna's barrack.
A video surfaced showing Revanna in civilian clothes speaking on the phone; DGP Alok Kumar called his failure to wear the prescribed prison uniform another lapse.
Kumar said the phone had been inside the jail since March with a recently changed SIM card, and the probe will focus on who gave it to him and who facilitated it.
Assistant Superintendent Iranna Rangapur was suspended for alleged dereliction of duty, a show-cause notice was issued to the jail superintendent, and DIG Jinendra Khanagavi was tasked with an enquiry.
More than 300 phones have been seized from the prison in the last seven to eight months, with jammer 'black spots' and repeated Airtel Andhra Pradesh SIM cards noted.
- Who
- Prajwal Revanna, rape convict and former Hassan MP (articles cite his tenure as 2019-2023 and 2019-2024), fellow inmate Pratap Rai, and prison authorities led by DGP Alok Kumar.
- What
- A smartphone loaded with social media and streaming apps was seized from Revanna's barrack, and he was found out of prison uniform, prompting an inquiry into jail security lapses.
- Where
- Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
- When
- Tuesday, during a CCB search that ran from roughly 2 pm to 9 pm; the out-of-uniform video surfaced on Wednesday.
- Why
- Officials allege prison security lapses after a high-profile rape convict was found with a contraband phone and in civilian clothes inside the jail.
Key facts
- Convict
- Prajwal Revanna, ex-MP from Hassan and grandson of former PM H D Deve Gowda and son of JD(S) leader H D Revanna
- Conviction
- Life imprisonment for rape of a domestic worker, sentenced by the Special Court for People's Representatives in August 2025
- Location
- Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, Bengaluru
- Seized items
- Android phone (Netflix, Instagram, WhatsApp, Prime Video), white charger, blue pocket notebook, black SanDisk pen drive; another phone found with Rai
- Search
- CCB raid on Tuesday, about 4-5 hours; barrack previously searched on August 6 with nothing found
- Action taken
- Assistant Superintendent Iranna Rangapur suspended; show-cause notice to jail superintendent; DIG enquiry ordered
- Phones seized overall
- More than 300 in the last seven to eight months
- SIM issue
- Airtel Andhra Pradesh SIM cards repeatedly found; jammer system has 'black spots'
Quotes
Alok Kumar
Director General of Police, Prisons and Correctional Services
“Another issue is that yesterday he was not wearing the prescribed prison clothes. I had specifically asked about this. We received a complaint about this three months ago, and at that time I issued a memo stating that all convicted prisoners must wear prison clothes as per the prison rules. He did not wear them yesterday either.”
telegraphindia.com
“We have conducted so many raids and taken action, but an incident like this is embarrassing for our prison and correctional services department. It is also an embarrassment to the government. In our view, this is not acceptable.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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