Even after installing 19 jammers, worth ₹6 crore, and refurbishing technical infrastructure, officials at the Bengaluru Central Prison are unable to stop inmates from using mobile phones and instructing gang members on day-to-day operations.
This problem was brought to the fore when the police realised that a tech-savvy inmate had managed to bypass the jammers and make threat calls to a local businessman from his barrack.
On June 8, Kushal Kumara Swamy, 21, who runs a car accessory business on Pipeline Road in Vijayanagar, received a call from a man who identified himself as Gunda Ravi demanding ₹30,000. It was only later that police learnt that Ravi was incarcerated in the prison at Parappana Agrahara. He allegedly contacted Mr. Swamy from the jail and instructed him to keep the cash ready as his “boys” would come and collect it.
The same day, Ravi’s aides allegedly went to Mr. Swamy’s house at Amarjyothinagar to collect the money. But, the latter refused to pay and threatened to call the police. Enraged, the gang assaulted Mr. Swamy, damaged his car using boulders, and robbed him of ₹10,000 in cash at knifepoint.
Based on Mr. Swamy’s complaint, the Vijayanagar police picked up three youths for the crime, and learnt that they had been instructed by Ravi to threaten the businessman. “Ravi had somehow managed to get his hands on a mobile phone to make the calls. We are investigating how he was able to do this despite the presence of heavy security and jammers (installed in 2012) in the central prison,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) M.N. Anucheth, and added that Ravi had been made the prime accused in the robbery and extortion case. He will seek his police custody.
“We are trying to find out whether he made similar calls to other people while in jail,” Mr. Anucheth said.
Investigating officers have sought a detailed report from the service provider to find out in whose name the SIM card has been issued.
