Irregularities in prison: Police ready preliminary charge sheet

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru police have prepared a preliminary charge sheet in three cases concerning irregularities at Karnataka's largest jail — the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara. 

The charge sheet has been sent for legal scrutiny and is expected to be returned in the next two days, according to a well-placed police officer. Police will make the final charge sheet after incorporating suggestions, if any, made by the prosecutors. 

A team headed by Sarah Fathima, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast), is also expected to seek an inquiry sanction against prison officials believed to be involved in the case. 

The alleged irregularities came to light after a viral photograph showed murder-accused Kannada film star Darshan Thoogudeepa hobnobbing with gangster Nagaraj, alias Wilson Garden Naga, and several others inside the prison in August. 

The picture, suspected to have been taken by a fellow inmate, embarrassed the state government and forced it to transfer Darshan and the other accused to prisons across Karnataka. 

A Bengaluru court also permitted the authorities to transfer 20 history-sheeters to different prisons across the state. 

Three separate FIRs were filed at the Parappana Agrahara police station over the developments. The police launched probes to identify the source of the viral picture and the use of mobile phones, drugs and other electric appliances inside the prison. 

A police officer who was part of the investigation team said that they had found how the mobile phones were smuggled inside, who was in nexus with the prison inmates, and what other luxuries the inmates enjoyed. 

The viral picture prompted the prison department to suspend nine police officers deputed at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.