Bengaluru police confirmed that a mobile phone and other devices seized from jailed former Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna contained multiple pornographic videos. The phone was smuggled into Parappana Agrahara Central Prison through a coordinated operation involving five individuals, including a jail staffer, according to police sources. The devices were recovered during a raid in August, and an FIR was registered against Revanna and his co-inmate Pratap Rai.

Revanna, who is serving a life sentence for raping a 48-year-old domestic help at his family's farmhouse in Hassan district, allegedly paid Rs 70,000 for the mobile phone and Rs 30,000 for a SIM card. The jail warden, Prakash Gawade, is alleged to have handed the phone to Revanna personally. Undertrial prisoner Mohammed Tausif, accused in the DJ Halli case, is said to have concealed the SIM card in his mouth and passed it to Revanna. The charger and pen drive were allegedly handed over during subsequent visits by Gawade, who had previously been arrested and suspended for smuggling ganja into the prison.

Forensic analysis of the seized phone and pen drive revealed dozens of pornographic videos and web series, according to NDTV. The phone was found in use by Revanna during a surprise raid by Crime Branch officials on August 11. The devices were seized from a high-security barrack where Revanna was lodged. The case has raised questions about the special privileges afforded to VIP prisoners in Bengaluru's central prison.

The jail staffer, Gawade, is alleged to have facilitated the smuggling operation, and four private individuals are said to have arranged the phone and SIM card. The investigating officer told TOI that the four private persons and Revanna paid Rs 1 lakh in total, with Rs 70,000 for the mobile and Rs 30,000 for the SIM card. However, co-inmate Pratap Rai denied any involvement, stating that Revanna had been using the phone before Rai joined him in the barrack.

Personal mobile phones, SIM cards, and electronic communication devices are universally banned in prisons, with communication restricted to institutional landlines, public call offices, or designated video-calling systems. The case has once again highlighted the challenges of enforcing these rules in high-security facilities. The investigation continues, with authorities ordering a probe into the smuggling operation and the use of the seized devices.

What remains unknown is the full extent of the content on the pen drive and whether the videos were accessed by other prisoners. The role of the jail staff in facilitating the smuggling and the potential for similar incidents in other prisons are also unclear. The case underscores the need for stricter oversight and enforcement of prison communication rules, particularly for VIP inmates.