Rape convict ex-MP Prajwal Revanna found using smartphone, wearing civilian clothes in jail

Be galu u,
Aug
12
(PTI):
Rape
co vict
a d
fo me
MP
P ajwal
Reva a
was
fou d
usi g
a
sma tpho e
i side
Be galu u’s
Pa appa a
Ag aha a
Ce t al
P iso ,
with
a
video
that
su faced
o
Wed esday
showi g
him
i
casual
clothes
a d
talki g
to
someo e
o
the
pho e,
eve
as
p iso
autho ities
o de ed
a
i qui y
i to
the
lapses.

A
A d oid
mobile
pho e
was
seized
f om
Reva a’s
ba ack
du i g
a
fou -to-five-hou
Ce t al
C ime
B a ch
(CCB)
sea ch
at
the
p iso
o
Tuesday,
Di ecto
Ge e al
of
Police
(P iso s
a d
Co ectio al
Se vices)
Alok
Kuma
said.

Kuma
said
the
p iso
autho ities
had
also
fou d
that
Reva a
was
ot
wea i g
the
p esc ibed
p iso
u ifo m,
desc ibi g
it
as
a othe
lapse.

“A othe
issue
is
that
yeste day
he
was
ot
wea i g
the
p esc ibed
p iso
clothes.
I
had
specifically
asked
about
this.
We
eceived
a
complai t
about
this
th ee
mo ths
ago,
a d
at
that
time
I
issued
a
memo
stati g
that
all
co victed
p iso e s
must
wea
p iso
clothes
as
pe
the
p iso
ules.
He
did
ot
wea
them
yeste day
eithe ,”
he
said.

The
video
that
su faced
o
Wed esday
pu po tedly
shows
Reva a
wea i g
civilia
clothes
a d
speaki g
o
a
mobile
pho e
while
i side
the
p iso .

The
CCB
co ducted
the
aid
o
Tuesday
ta geti g
high-p ofile
p iso e s
a d
othe
i mates
housed
i
the
High
Secu ity
P iso .
No
othe
co t aba d
was
fou d
du i g
the
sea ch,
Kuma
said.

The
CCB
has
lodged
a
complai t
with
Pa appa a
Ag aha a
Police
Statio
a d
egist atio
of
a
FIR
is
i
p og ess,
he
said.

The
Assista t
Supe i te de t,
I a a
Ra gapu ,
has
bee
suspe ded
o
the
epo t
of
DIG
(South)
fo
alleged
de elictio
of
duty,
while
a
show-cause
otice
has
bee
issued
to
the
Supe i te de t
of
Be galu u
Ce t al
P iso .

“We
have
ow
e t usted
DIG
(P iso s)
Ji e d a
Kha agavi
with
the
task
of
co ducti g
a
e qui y
i to
the
oles
of
the
jaile
a d
othe
staff
a d
office s
who
we e
the e.
He
will
begi
the
e qui y
tomo ow.
We
have
also
issued
a
show-cause
otice
to
the
SP,
Be galu u
Ce t al
P iso ,
because
such
thi gs
we e
happe i g
i
his
vici ity
a d
the e
we e
lapses,’
Kuma
said.

The
p iso
autho ities
had
also
sea ched
Reva a’s
ba ack
o
August
6,
but
the
sea ch
team
had
ot
fou d
a y
co t aba d
item
at
the
time,
Kuma
said.

The
DGP
said
the
i vestigatio
would
focus
o
how
the
pho e
eached
Reva a
a d
who
facilitated
it.

“Now,
the
CCB
will
i vestigate
who
gave
him
the
pho e.
That
is
impo ta t.
If
someo e
i side
the
jail
has
facilitated
a ythi g,
we
will
have
to
take
actio
agai st
that
pe so
as
well,”
he
said.

Kuma
oted
that
ove
300
mobile
pho es
had
bee
seized
f om
Pa appa a
Ag aha a
i
the
last
seve
to
eight
mo ths,
but
a
olde
stock
of
pho es
ecove ed
ove
the
p evious
th ee
to
fou
yea s
had
yet
to
be
completely
clea ed.

“This
pa ticula
pho e
appea s
to
have
eached
him
sometime
ea lie .
He
ece tly
cha ged
the
SIM
ca d,
but
the
pho e
had
bee
with
him
fo
some
time.
A
SIM
was
also
used
i
this
pho e
i
Ma ch.
We
have
to
exami e
what
i fo matio
is
available
ow
a d
whe e
the
pho e
was
befo e
Ma ch,”
he
said.

Asked
about
the
pho e’s
use
i
Ma ch,
Kuma
said,
“I
Ma ch,
he
was
ot
usi g
it.
He
was
usi g
a othe
o e
i
Ma ch.
But
this
pho e
was
i side
the
jail.
It
came
the e
i
Ma ch.”
Kuma
said
the
i cide t
was
a
majo
emba assme t
fo
the
p iso
depa tme t
a d
the
gove me t
a d
wa ed
that
those
espo sible
would
face
actio .

“We
have
co ducted
so
ma y
aids
a d
take
actio ,
but
a
i cide t
like
this
is
emba assi g
fo
ou
p iso
a d
co ectio al
se vices
depa tme t.
It
is
also
a
emba assme t
to
the
gove me t.
I
ou
view,
this
is
ot
acceptable.
Whoeve
is
espo sible
will
face
st ict
actio .
We
have
al eady
take
actio ,”
he
said.

He
also
ack owledged
lapses
i
mo ito i g
high-p ofile
p iso e s,
sayi g
pe so el
posted
i
the
a ea
should
have
bee
awa e
of
thei
moveme ts.

“The e
a e
defi itely
lapses.
Eve
o
that
day,
whe
the
sea ch
was
co ducted,
someo e
may
have
eceived
i fo matio
i
some
othe
ma e ,
which
is
why
the
pho e
was
ot
fou d.
That
aspect
also
eeds
to
be
i vestigated,”
Kuma
said.

Kuma
said
the
CCB
had
co ducted
seve al
aids
ea lie
without
fi di g
mobile
pho es,
while
p iso
pe so el
co ti ued
to
seize
pho es
egula ly.

“Ou
people
a e
fi di g
pho es
o
a
daily
basis.
Eve
last
ight,
two
mo e
mobile
pho es
we e
fou d
i
the
high-secu ity
block,”
he
said.

The
DGP
also
said
the
p iso ‘s
mobile
pho e
jammi g
system
had
bee
faci g
tech ical
p oblems,
while
aisi g
co ce s
ove
epeated
use
of
Ai tel
A dh a
P adesh
SIM
ca ds
i side
the
jail.

“The
jamme
p oblem
has
u fo tu ately
become
a
pe ma e t
issue,”
Kuma
said.

The
DGP
(P iso s)
added
that
the
depa tme t
had
bee
t yi g
fo
the
past
seve
to
eight
mo ths
to
esolve
p oblems
a isi g
f om
the
i te actio
betwee
the
old
jamme s
a d
ewe
telecom
systems.

He
said
the e
we e
still
seve al
“black
spots”
i side
the
p iso
whe e
the
jammi g
system
was
i effective.

Kuma
also
said
Ai tel
A dh a
P adesh
SIM
ca ds
had
epeatedly
bee
fou d
bei g
used
i side
the
jail
despite
wa i gs
to
the
telecom
ope ato .

“Whe eve
SIM
ca ds
a e
fou d
i side
the
jail,
they
a e
Ai tel
A dh a
P adesh
SIM
ca ds.
Jio
does
ot
appea ,
Vodafo e
does
ot
appea ,
BSNL
does
ot
appea .
It
is
Ai tel,
a d
specifically
Ai tel
A dh a
P adesh
SIMs,
that
keep
tu i g
up,”
he
said.

The
DGP
said
the
epeated
appea a ce
of
such
SIM
ca ds
also
eeded
to
be
i vestigated.

Reva a,
the
g a dso
of
fo me
p ime
mi iste
H
D
Deve
Gowda
a d
so
of
JD(S)
leade
H
D
Reva a,
ep ese ted
Hassa
i
the
Lok
Sabha
f om
2019
to
2024.

He
was
a ested
i
May
2024
i
co ectio
with
sexual
assault
cases
a d
was
late
co victed
i
a
ape
case.
A
special
cou t
i
Be galu u
se te ced
him
to
life
imp iso me t
i
August
2025,
followi g
which
he
was
lodged
i
Pa appa a
Ag aha a
p iso .
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