In more than 20 days, the Karnataka Prisons and Correctional Services Department has seized 101 mobile phones in various prisons across the state, according to an official statement.
Officials said 23 chargers, 84 SIM cards, 16 handsets, ₹64,880 in cash and 18 sharp objects were seized.
In a major raid at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, officials seized 30 mobile phones during an operation on Thursday night, Director General of Police Alok Kumar said.
He lauded the team led by Central Jail Superintendent Anshu Kumar and Jailer Shivakumar for the operation and announced a reward of ₹30,000.
In a post on X, Mr Kumar said similar seizures were made in other jails across the state, including Kalaburagi where 10 mobile phones were found in two days, Mangaluru (six), Ballari (four) and Shivamogga (three). The searches led to the recovery of eight SIM cards, he said.
The seizure followed Mr Kumar’s inspection of the Bengaluru Central Jail earlier this week, his first since taking office. He said he is committed to addressing long-term problems at the prison.
Mr. Kumar revealed that the police officers have been given a 15-day deadline to fill the loopholes in the system. He warned that strict action would be taken if any violation was found after this period. He said there is a need to get to the root of the problem and understand the network through which mobile phones are smuggled into prisons.
Published – 19 Dec 2025 21:01 IST
