Prajwal Revanna moved to general cell after phone found in prison

Former MP Prajwal Revanna, who is serving a life sentence in a rape case, has been moved from the VIP section of Bengaluru’s Central Prison to a general cell housing other convicted prisoners after a mobile phone was reportedly recovered from his barrack.

The development took a dramatic turn on Wednesday evening when a purported 17-second video, allegedly showing Revanna speaking on a mobile phone from inside his prison cell, surfaced on social media and quickly went viral. The authenticity of the footage has not been independently verified, and prison authorities have yet to issue an official response.

In the purported video, Revanna is seen wearing coloured clothes rather than the prescribed prison uniform and speaking on a mobile phone inside a cell fitted with a ceiling fan. He is also heard referring to having made a call two days earlier, raising fresh questions about how the device allegedly came to be used inside the high-security prison.

Following the reported recovery of the phone, Revanna was shifted to a cell shared with around 20 other prisoners, where inmates reportedly have access to a single toilet. He has also been instructed to wear the mandatory prison uniform and assigned duties in the prison library.

The controversy has acquired a distinctly political edge, coming just a day before the Monsoon Assembly Session. The Opposition BJP and JD(S) have threatened to disrupt proceedings unless Karnataka planning and statistics minister B. Nagendra steps down.

The latest development follows a recent raid by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, during which officials reportedly recovered more than 10 mobile phones. Among the items allegedly seized from Revanna’s barrack were a blue Redmi 5G phone, a charger, a blue pocket notebook and a black SanDisk pen drive. Police reportedly found obscene videos on the phone and pen drive.

Revanna was subsequently shifted out of the VIP section and placed among ordinary convicted prisoners. He had been housed in the VIP cell alongside another prisoner, Prathap Rai, an undertrial accused in a POCSO case who was reportedly assisting him.

Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge said on Wednesday that he had personally ordered the CCB raid after noticing lapses during a visit to Parappana Agrahara around two weeks earlier.

Kharge said such a raid required the approval of the Home Department and the chief minister. After receiving information from officials about irregularities, he said, he secured the necessary approval and ordered the operation. He also directed prison authorities to suspend officials found to have facilitated violations of prison rules.

Prison Department DGP Alok Kumar said Assistant Superintendent Eeranna had been suspended over the lapses, while Jail Superintendent Anshukumar was served a show-cause notice seeking an explanation.

Kumar said the mobile phone and charger were recovered from Revanna’s barrack and that several over-the-top (OTT) applications were found installed on the device. Authorities, he added, would also investigate whether the prison’s Wi-Fi network had been used.

The episode has once again cast a spotlight on security and administrative lapses inside one of Karnataka’s most closely watched prisons, with questions mounting over how a mobile phone allegedly found its way into the barrack of a high-profile convict.

With IANS inputs