The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a probe by a High Court judge into allegations that women prisoners were being sexually exploited in the central jail at Parappana Agrahara and also the condition of women in other jails of the State.
BJP leader and former Minister S. Suresh Kumar said at a news conference on Saturday that in August this year, a large amount of ganja was seized at the central prison. There were frequent reports of such illegal activities there, giving an impression that the prison was a “posh living space for those who could afford it.”
Mr. Suresh Kumar said the latest allegations showed that women in Karnataka were “unsafe on roads, schools and even in prisons” - which was a clear sign of deterioration of the law and order situation in the State.
On Friday, Home Minister K.J. George, who also holds Prison Department portfolio, gave an assurance that the Women and Child Welfare Department would be asked to conduct an inquiry into the women prisoners’ allegations.