Bengaluru prison video: 3 including Chief Superintendent suspended, high-level panel set up to probe laxity

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Monday suspended three officers attached to Bengaluru Central Prison, including the Chief Jail Superintendent, in connection with videos showing special treatment being given to radical elements, a serial rapist, and other criminals inside the prison.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara made the announcement after holding a high-level meeting with prison authorities. He also announced the formation of a high-level committee to probe the incident.

Chief Jail Superintendent K. Suresh, Superintendent Myageri, and Deputy Superintendent Ashok Bajantri are the officers who have been suspended.

Home Minister Parameshwara stated, “Reports have emerged that some illegal activities are taking place in Bengaluru Central Jail. I have observed the media coverage regarding this. Some of the key videos are from 2023, while one or two videos are only three to four months old.”

“We have constituted a high-level committee to probe the incident. The committee will be headed by ADGP (Law and Order) R. Hitendra, and senior IPS officers Sandeep Patil, Amarnath Reddy, and C.B. Rishyant will be its members. This committee has been directed to submit its report within a month,” he said.

There are around 5,000 inmates lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison, with convicts and undertrials housed together. In this context, a command centre is proposed to be established, which will become operational within 15 days, he added.

Parameshwara further announced that henceforth, an IPS officer would be appointed as the head of the prison department.

He also stated, “After five years, the transfer of jail officials will be made mandatory. If they continue in the same post for too long, they will be relieved. Officials who are likely to exert influence will be transferred elsewhere.”

Additionally, instructions have been issued to fill vacant posts in the prison department, and steps will be taken to recruit officials through the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). Around 1,000 staff members, including Assistant Superintendents, are expected to be recruited, he said.

The Home Minister added that addressing the staff shortage will help ensure smooth and effective management of the prisons.

Allegations of major security lapses and preferential treatment within the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Bengaluru had surfaced on last Saturday following the viral videos purportedly showing notorious inmates – including one of India’s most notorious rapist and serial killers Umesh Reddy, suspected terrorists and a gold smuggling accused – using mobile phones and enjoying snacks and alcohol, causing significant embarrassment to prison authorities.

The purported footage allegedly shows Umesh Reddy, who was convicted for raping 20 women and murdering 18 women between 1996 and 2022, freely using two Android phones and one keypad mobile inside the jail. Reddy’s death sentence was commuted by the Supreme Court to 30 years of imprisonment without remission in 2022.

Even more alarming are claims that the videos also show suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba and other foreign and domestic extremist outfit members using smartphones for communication within the central prison, an incident that poses a national security threat.

This latest controversy follows earlier Supreme Court strictures to ensure inmates do not receive special facilities, a directive issued while looking into the fan murder case involving Kannada superstar Darshan.

IANS