New photos from Bengaluru prison raise questions about special treatment of imprisoned VIPs

Bengaluru: Amid the heated controversy over a photograph showing jailed Kannada film star Darshan Thoogudeepa receiving 'VIP treatment', new pictures emerged on Monday, purportedly from inside Bengaluru Central Jail.

Darshan, an A-list celebrity in the Kannada film industry, has been in judicial custody since June along with 16 others for the murder of his fanatic Renukaswamy from Chitradurga.

One of the photos, accessible via DHshows Darshan in his cell, sitting on a bed with another inmate who appears to be holding a mobile phone.

The photo was posted a day after another picture was widely shared on social media, purporting to show Darshan sitting with jailed history-sheeters J Nagaraj alias 'Wilson Garden' Naga and Srinivas alias Kulla Seena and smoking a cigarette, which is prohibited in the prison premises. Senior officials said the incident took place on the evening of August 22.

A well-informed police source told this newspaper that according to preliminary investigations, the photo was taken by an inmate named Kannan Vela. Vela, an aide of Naga, was arrested in August 2023 for the murder of N Mahesh, alias Siddapura Mahesh. The source added that Vela sent the photo to his wife over the phone and then passed it on. However, the jail officials are still verifying these claims.

Meanwhile, an alleged video showing Darshan's interaction with a man, now identified as Satya, has also gone viral. In the video, Darshan is seen waving at the caller and gesturing to see if he has eaten. Sources suggest that the call was initiated by an inmate named Dharma, who then handed the phone to Darshan.

These incidents have raised doubts about the effectiveness of the cell phone jammers installed in the prison.

A senior police official told the reporter that investigators were looking for Satya, the son of a former Bengaluru-based rowdy named Janardhan alias Jani.

On Monday, more photos were leaked from prison showing Seena celebrating his birthday with a gun-shaped cake. Naga can also be seen in one of the photos.

A former prisoner who was previously serving time in a district jail in Karnataka for attempted murder explained how phones are hidden in prison.

“They are wrapped in plastic and pushed into the opening of Indian toilets,” he said DH under the condition of anonymity. “The cover will be removed if necessary and stored in the same place.”

Past incidents

These incidents have once again highlighted how VIPs and well-known inmates are treated in prison.

A controversy erupted in 2017 when it was reported that VK Sasikala, a close aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, had been granted special privileges in the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, where she was lodged after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case.

Abdul Karim Telgi, who was convicted of the counterfeit stamp paper scam, was also reportedly given special treatment in Bengaluru jail.