Bengaluru: The Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Bengaluru is in the headlines yet again for all the wrong reasons. Months after images of inmates partying inside the prison surfaced, videos have now gone online of some of them enjoying Netflix and IPL on smartphones and television.
The videos have raised serious concerns about security at the prison that houses hardcore criminals, including rapists, murderers as well as ISIS recruiters.
The purported videos show prisoners using smartphones and watching content on television, including platforms like Netflix. Inmates are also heard casually discussing an upcoming IPL match and saying this time the cup is ours, in one of the clips, as reported by Republic TV.
The videos were recorded on March 27 by inmates lodged in connection with a murder case for over two years, sources said. The footage was sent to contacts outside the prison, leading to its rapid circulation online, it is suspected.
Mobile phones were hidden in an underground pipeline near the toilets to evade detection, preliminary investigation has revealed. Authorities are also probing possible collusion at the ground staff level.
Strict measures have been implemented in recent times, under the leadership of Alok Kumar, DGP (Prisons and Correctional Services), to curb illegal activities within prisons, authorities claimed.
The phones seen in the videos have been seized after the incident, and an FIR has been registered. A detailed investigation has been launched to determine lapses and accountability. Three prison officials have also been suspended.
Last year, videos had surfaced showing inmates allegedly hosting liquor parties inside the jail, with reports suggesting they used fruits from the canteen to brew alcohol.
Other visuals had also shown inmates celebrating birthdays with dance parties and makeshift arrangements, raising serious questions about prison management.
High-risk inmates had access to mobile phones and entertainment facilities inside the jail, an earlier report had said.
