2 prisoners undertrial booked for attempting to smuggle substance inside prison

Two undertrial prisoners were caught allegedly attempting to smuggle a substance, suspected to be MDMA, into the Mangaluru District Prison after returning from a court hearing.

According to prison authorities, undertrial prisoners Vikram Kumar and Pramod V, had been taken under escort to the 3rd Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru for a hearing on August 12. They returned to the prison around 2 pm.

At the main gate security check, Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) personnel Shekhar DK and Kumar NR conducted a thorough search. They found two suspicious yellow tape-wrapped packets hidden in Vikram Kumar’s slippers. Upon questioning, Vikram claimed that the slippers actually belonged to fellow prisoner Pramod and had been swapped during their return from court.

When interrogated, Pramod reportedly admitted that the packets were retrieved from a bucket in a toilet within the court premises. He alleged that the packets had been concealed there by his associate, Manjunath from Davangere, who was also present at the court for a hearing. Pramod said he placed the packets in his slippers and later exchanged them with Vikram’s slippers before entering the prison. Inspection of the seized packets revealed 10 small sachets containing a white crystalline substance resembling MDMA. Prison authorities believe the accused were attempting to smuggle the substance inside the prison.

A case has been registered at Barke police station against Vikram Kumar and Pramod V, and further investigation is underway.