A special kitchen, personal masseur and even drugs. Inmates can get anything they want in Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara albeit at a price. A report filed by DIG Prisons, IPS officer Roopa D exposes how inmates, money power and jail authorities bent the rules to make punishment a retreat. After the issue was highlighted, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, has ordered a probe into the matter.
A report dated 12, July 2017, addressed to the DG and IGP of Karnataka as well as DG Prisons exposes how right under the nose of top officers, drugs were being supplied to prisoners but no action was being taken. Roopa D, the first ever woman officer in Karnataka to be posted as DIG Prisons paid a surprise visit to Bengaluru Central Prison.
"After receiving information that drugs are being supplied to prisons inside the prison, I along with a team of medical officers used drugs test kit on 25 prisoners. It was shocking to see that 18 prisoners tested positive for Ganja," says the report that is in the possession of OneIndia. 18 inmates tested positive for usage of Cannabis, Benzodiazepine, Barbiturate, Morphine. It is not just drugs but cases of molestation are also going unpunished inside the Bengaluru central prison, the report claims. A nurse posted in the jail hospital was molested by an undertrial inmate in June. Despite it being escalated to prison authorities, no action was taken against the accused, according to the report. Incidents of prisoners attacking medical staff have been reported but yet again, despite the prisoners being monitored directly by DG prisons via CCTV camera, no action has been taken. Multicrore stamp paper scam accused Abdul Karim Telgi is a VVIP in Bengaluru cental prison. A little money can fo wonders and for Telgi it even bought his own minions. "Four or five undertrials are always accompanying Abdul Karim Telgi and are assigned to give him massages. Allowing undertrials to mingle with a convict like Telgi is in violation of rules," says the report. Six months ago, when Telgi was confined to a wheelchair owing to poor health, the court had approved assigning help for him. "But now Telgi is hale and hearty and walks around just fine. Despite him not needing a wheelchair anymore, undertrials have been assigned to carry out menial work for him," the report alleges. It is not just Telgi who gets VVIP treatment but all those prisoners who are willing to shell out money, according to the report. "It is being alleged that Sasikala Natarajan paid Rs 2 crore in bribes to get special treatment in jail and the allegation in being made out directly against you," Roopa D told DG Prisons HN Satyanarayana Rao in the report. The report also questions how the top authorities let such irregularities carry one despite all of this being captured and recorded on CCTV footages. The report even suggests that the DG Prisons has direct access to footage from CCTV cameras installed in all prisons and most illegal activities are being carried out right under his supervision. The report also alleges that Roopa D was pulled up for her surprise visit to the Bengaluru Central Prison. OneIndia NewsStamp paper scam accused Telgi gets special privileges