Activists feel knee-jerk reactions will not usher in a change. They called for rooting out the deeply entrenched corrupt system in Bengaluru's Central Prison.
Published Nov 14, 2025 | 8:00 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 14, 2025 | 8:31 PM
Snapshots from Parappana Agrahara prison: (From Left to right) Juhad Hameed Shakeel, a wanted ISIS operative, scrolling on his phone; Umesh Reddy, rape and murder convict, using a mobile phone; another screengrab of Umesh Reddy; and Kannada actor and murder accused Darshan Thoogudeepa, along with rowdy sheeters, smoking a cigarette.
Synopsis: The Central Prison, Bengaluru, stands as an epitome of what money and power can afford. While notorious criminals and crime accused enjoy a luxurious life, the less-privileged prisoners — irrespective of the gravity of the crime committed — get second-class treatment.
Each prisoner in Karnataka’s jails, including those lodged in the state’s largest Central Prison Complex at Parappana Agrahara in Bengaluru, is allotted a daily budget of ₹85.
An ordinary prisoner goes without food for about 14 hours between the last meal of the day and breakfast the next morning. However, in the Parappana Agrahara prison, not all are equal: some are more equal than others.
Prison rules, apparently, exclude them. They enjoy more rights than others, and lead a leisurely life away from the hustle and bustle of the world outside the prison walls. They have a separate set of ‘fundamental’ rights, denied to other prisoners.
Several videos from the Central Prison emerged in the public space over the past few days, showing prisoners, including a serial rapist and terror accused, getting ‘VIP’ treatment. They were shown using smartphones without restrictions, consuming alcohol, watching television, and even cooking their own food.
One such video showed Umesh Reddy, India’s most notorious serial rapist between 1996 and 2002, facing a 30-year life term, using two Android phones and another one with a keypad.
In another video, Tarun Raju, an accused in a gold smuggling case, was seen using a mobile phone and cooking. Yet another video had Juhad Hameed Shakeel, an alleged ISIS operative, drinking tea and scrolling on a smartphone.
For them, the VIPs, business was as usual, even behind the bars.
Home Minister G Parameshwara said some of the videos were old, but confirmed lapses in prison management.
“Some videos have been circulating. However, they are from 2023, not from yesterday or the day before. Some photos, only one or two, are from three to four months ago,” he said, while speaking to reporters.
Activists working for prisoners’ welfare claimed that such ‘special treatment’ for specific inmates was not new.
“Those inmates who are poor and come from marginalised backgrounds are often treated in an inhumane manner. They cannot afford to pay bribes to officials like other VIP inmates,” said Professor YJ Rajendra, President of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Karnataka, who worked for the welfare of prisoners and their families.
VIP inmates in the Bengaluru Central Prison appeared to enjoy comforts beyond the rules, including access to special food. In October 2025, a video of Srinivasa alias Gubbachhi Seena, a rowdy sheeter lodged at the jail, celebrating his birthday by cutting a five-layered cake, went viral.
Meanwhile, the ordinary inmates normally settle for substandard food.
“The food quality on most days is bad. They (prisoners) say it is edible but not nutritious,” said Rajendra.
An RTI application by activist-lawyer Narasimha Murthy in 2024 revealed that inmates were served non-vegetarian food only once a week. Compare it with Kerala, where prisoners eat mutton once a week and fish twice.
Activists pointed at a well-entrenched corrupt network inside the prison, selecting inmates with privileges, including better food, among other favours.
Murthy also alleged that contractors awarded tenders for cooking were expected to pay commissions to jail officials — costs they then recover by cutting corners. This directly affects the quality and quantity of food served to undertrials, he said.
On the other hand, Murthy alleged that meals for VIP inmates were consistently checked for quality based on their feedback.
Despite a ban on individual cooking inside the prison, activists told South First that some inmates paid bribes to cook food more palatable to them.
“There is a lot of corruption inside the prison. But it is the inmates who can’t afford to indulge in this practice who often suffer the substandard food,” said Rajendra.
The disparity extended beyond meals. Inmates were rarely allowed visits by their family members. Murthy recalled how actor Darshan was allowed multiple visits in prison – around 30 between 25 June and 26 July 2024, according to an RTI response.
However, non-VIP inmates lacked this privilege. “While family members are allowed, it is very difficult to seek entry without a bribe. If they pay, they get more time; otherwise, they get only a brief window,” explained Rajendra, currently preparing a report on the living conditions of inmates at the Bengaluru Central Prison.
However, he said that most prisoners who come out rarely reveal information about their jail time, fearing retribution.
Rajendra pointed to one such case. In April 2025, Banu, the mother of 21-year-old Hameed B, imprisoned since October 2023, lodged a complaint with the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC). She alleged that seven to eight jail staff members had assaulted her son. Her complaint also stated that he was denied food and basic amenities, and was instead asked to pay bribes to access them.
An instance of VIP treatment pertained to former AIADMK leader VK Sasikala, who was jailed in a corruption case. In 2017, the then Deputy Inspector General (Prisons), D Roopa, had accused that prisoner Sasikala was receiving preferential treatment.
An inquiry led by retired IAS officer Vinay Kumar confirmed the claims, stating that Sasikala was allowed to wear her personal clothes and cook. It also found that her prison cell had a pressure cooker and spices. She had been allotted five cells despite intelligence assessments indicating no threat to her life.
Additionally, she enjoyed free movement within the prison, which was corroborated by the video footage. While Kumar submitted the inquiry report to the government in 2017, it wasn’t until Murthy’s RTI application that the report’s findings became public.
More recently, in August 2024, murder-accused actor Darshan Thoogudeepa was seen relaxing outdoors, lounging on chairs, holding a coffee mug, smoking, and even waving during a video call.
He was seen with notorious rowdy sheeter Wilson Garden Naga. Seven prison officials were suspended, and three cases were registered.
In just over a decade, five committees have been formed to address such security lapses at the Bengaluru Central Prison, under governments led by both the Congress and the BJP. The first major report came in 2014 after serial killer Jaishankar fled the prison.
A committee led by former DGP CID Bipin Gopalakrishna found that Jaishankar managed to escape due to the negligence of around 50 on-duty security guards.
The next high-power committee was formed after Roopa alleged preferential treatment for Sasikala. Despite its findings, little has changed, said Murthy.
In 2022, another committee led by Additional Director General of Police S Murugan was formed after videos surfaced showing prison inmates using mobile phones. Based on the recommendations of the committee, 15 staff members were suspended and 35 others were transferred for dereliction of duty.
The then-Home Minister Araga Jnanendra announced that they would install 4G-compatible jammers in all major prisons.
However, over the years, despite the presence of these jammers, videos continue to emerge from the prison showing inmates using cellphones. The jammers have, in fact, caused trouble for residents living near the prison.
In 2024, residents staged a protest against the Tower-Harmonious Call Blocking System (T-HCBS) jammers installed for the Central Prison, which they claimed were disrupting 4G and 5G networks throughout the neighbourhood. The jammers hindered their day-to-day activities.
That year, another committee was formed under the then Central Crime Branch (CCB) chief Dr Chandragupta, after videos showed Darshan allegedly getting preferential treatment.
The latest committee, headed by ADGP (Law and Order), Karnataka, R Hitendra, was formed on 10 November. The Karnataka government also transferred Chief Superintendent of Prison K Suresh and suspended two other prison officials.
In a first, the jail would now be managed by an IPS officer. However, activists questioned whether knee-jerk reactions of suspensions, transfers and forming committees without addressing the root problem of a deeply entrenched corrupt system would bring about any meaningful prison reforms. Hardly, they said.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
