The latest seizures have come just days after the prison officials booked a convict for allegedly attempting to smuggle beedis into the prison.
| Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
Authorities at the Bengaluru Central Prison have registered fresh cases after two mobile phones and SIM cards were allegedly recovered from inmates during surprise inspections.According to a complaint filed by Superintendent B.M. Kotresh, the prison staff conducted routine security checks on May 29 and recovered a black mobile phone with an SIM card concealed near Cell No. 13 in Security Block-1.After growing suspicious of the behaviour of several undertrial prisoners lodged in Cell No. 14 of the same block, the staff under the supervision of Assistant Superintendent Eeranna Rogappa conducted a search and recovered another Android mobile phone, a blue Vivo handset.The recovered devices and SIM cards are prohibited items inside the prison. The authorities have sought registration of cases against the inmates found in possession of the contraband and against anyone who may have facilitated the smuggling of the devices into the jail.Cases have been sought under provisions of the Karnataka Prisons (Amendment) Act, 2022 and other relevant laws.The latest seizures have come just days after the prison officials booked a convict for allegedly attempting to smuggle beedis into the prison. On May 25, during a frisking operation at one of the prison gates, officials allegedly recovered eight beedis concealed inside the footwear of undertrial prisoner Krishnappa who was sent, along with other inmates, for gardening work outside the prison.The recoveries assume significance as the prison authorities have recently intensified a de-addiction drive within the prison system. As part of the initiative, the consumption of tobacco products, which was earlier permitted in certain forms, has been prohibited inside the prison. The officials said the crackdown is aimed at curbing addiction and preventing the circulation of contraband among inmates.Sources said that the tobacco ban has triggered unrest among some prisoners, with several inmates reportedly experiencing withdrawal symptoms and expressing resentment over the restrictions. The prison authorities, however, have maintained that the measures are necessary to improve inmate health and strengthen prison security.Officials are now investigating how the mobile phones and SIM cards were smuggled into the high-security prison and whether the prison staff or external accomplices played any role in facilitating the entry of the prohibited items. Published - June 01, 2026 07:39 pm IST
