Amid a spate of police personnel being caught at the wrong end of the law, embarrassing the Karnataka police, Central Jail Warden Parappana Agrahara was arrested for trying to smuggle contraband such as cigarettes and narcotics into the prison by hiding them in his underwear.
Accused Rahul Patil was detained at the main entrance of the jail around 6.50 pm on Friday after Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) guards became suspicious during a security check when the metal detector at the door started beeping repeatedly. A physical search allegedly led to the discovery of two packs of cigarettes and 60 grams of a thin paper-like narcotic material.
Jail Warden Paramesh, who lodged a complaint with the police, immediately ordered Patil’s suspension. The Parappana Agrahara police have registered a case under strict provisions of the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and the Karnataka Prisons Act, 1963.
The series of incidents prompted state police chief MA Saleem to issue a circular on Friday with a set of guidelines to prevent such cases, the second such circular in two months.
According to officials, Patil joined the Ministry of Prisons and Correctional Services as a Warden in 2018, earlier serving in Belagavi Central Jail before being transferred to Parappana Agrahara on June 29, 2025. Within six months of his posting to Bengaluru, he now finds himself safe in the same prison where he served at least until he was a warden.
Senior officials from the prisons department have expressed embarrassment at yet another case where staff were caught smuggling contraband into prisons. Drug dealing in prisons has been a long-standing challenge, with several staff booked in previous incidents.
Police are now investigating whether Patil was part of a larger supply network and to whom the seized material was supposed to be delivered to the prison.
Published – 06 Dec 2025 20:29 IST
