Even rowdy sheeters arrested under draconian laws had access to phones in prison

Jailed rowdy sheeters in Karnataka's Parappana Agrahara Central Prison continue illegal activities, prompting concerns for city's law and order.

The recent episode of preferential treatment to jailed actor Darshan has also exposed how rowdy sheeters, who have even been arrested under the draconian Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act, 2000 and lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, also have access to all facilities and are potentially continuing their illegal activities from inside prison.

This has been a serious concern to maintain law and order in the city. In this light, City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda said they have requested concerned authorities to shift eight rowdy sheeters to various prisons across the State. 

In the case of both the photo and the video of Darshan that went viral, stirring controversy, rowdy sheeters Wilson Garden Naga, Kulla Seena and Dharma were involved, and it is clear that they have access to mobile phones apart from other facilities. Wilson Garden Naga and Kulla Seena have been named in two FIRs registered now.

Central Crime Branch officials raided the prison on Saturday morning, following information they came across that some of these rowdy sheeters had been using mobile phones inside prison and running crime syndicates outside, unabated. “This is a serious threat to peace in the city,” a senior CCB official said.

However, this raid failed as it has now been revealed that the prison officials and inmates were tipped off about the raids in advance. CCB officials, who did not find any contraband in the prison, have now recovered CCTV footage from the prison, showing officials emptying cartons of contraband materials from the cells hours before the raids.

A detailed probe has been launched to ascertain the source of the contraband items, and as to who all were controlling the operations inside the prison, a senior police officer said. An FIR has been registered based on the complaint filed by M. Somashekhar, who was DIG, Prisons till Monday and was transferred out on Tuesday, against prison officials Sudarshan K.S., Paramesh Nayak Lamani, Rayamane K.B. for cleaning contraband from all the cells with the help of a convict, Mujeeb.