Reform prisons, start with jail officials

Seizure of ganja in central jail is a wake-up call

For its powerful inmates, the Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara has far long been a home away from home, rather than a jail. The recent seizure of a consignment of ganja, which arrived by post, only confirms this and gives an inkling of the kind of life that convicts have behind the high walls. Outsiders have been barred from visiting the prison since the start of the pandemic, so the resourceful inmates have taken recourse to the regular postal service to smuggle in banned items, including drugs. It is a mystery why they chose this method since it is common knowledge that all packets sent to the prison are opened and scrutinised by jail authorities. It is possible that such parcels are received on a regular basis and even reach their intended recipients with the connivance of staff. Earlier this year, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) had raided the prison and seized daggers, marijuana, smoking pipes, mobile phones, pen drives and SIM cards from the cells. The CCB conducts raids regularly and returns with a sizeable haul each time. Investigations have revealed that the jail has turned into a safe haven for notorious rowdies who continue their operations, such as extortions, from inside the prison. Mobile jammers are installed around it, but the inmates have managed to overcome this difficulty, too.

All these point to the active involvement of the prison staff which, of course, is nothing new. In 2013, for instance, two top jail officers were arrested by the CBI after it was found that they were helping the kingpin of the fake stamp paper racket, Abdul Karim Telgi, run his business from inside the central prison. Telgi had received a huge sum of money from his associates when in jail, and a part of it was passed on to the officers. More recently, the then DIG (prisons) D Roopa submitted a report that V K Sasikala, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha’s aide, was given preferential treatment, allegedly in exchange for a couple of crores. An inquiry by a retired IAS officer confirmed the charge about preferential treatment, but the report then simply went out of sight and out of the government’s mind.

Our criminal justice system and prison sentences are intended as a way to reform criminals. But it seems even the prisons’ police staff need to be reformed. The nexus between criminals and jail staff must be broken, and that calls for strong action, such as dismissal from service and arrest of guilty or negligent officers.

Watch the latest DH videos here: