In a significant breach of security, the Bengaluru City police have arrested a prison warder from the Bengaluru Central Prison for attempting to smuggle contraband items, including cigarettes and material suspected for drug use, into the inmate barracks.
Warder Apprehended During Frisking
The incident occurred on Friday night when the accused warder, identified as Rahul Patil, reported for his night shift. As per standard procedure, personnel from the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) conducted a security frisk at the prison entrance around 6:50 PM.
During the check, the security staff discovered banned substances concealed in Patil's undergarment. The seized items included two packs of cigarettes, containing ten cigarettes each, and approximately 60 grams of saturated absorbent paper. This special paper is strongly suspected to be used for packing narcotics.
Immediate Arrest and Case Registration
Senior prison officials were immediately informed about the security lapse. Following this, a formal case was registered against Rahul Patil at the Parappana Agrahara police station, leading to his prompt arrest.
Patil, who has been serving as a prison warder since 2018 in various facilities, was transferred to the Bengaluru Central Prison from Belagavi only in June of this year. A prison warder is a key law enforcement figure entrusted with the custody, safety, and discipline of inmates, making this alleged act a serious violation of duty.
Context of Contraband and Inmate Protest
This arrest comes at a sensitive time within the prison. Officials had imposed a strict ban on the sale of cigarettes and beedis in the prison canteen for the past week. While the prison manual officially prohibits such sales, authorities had previously allowed them on humanitarian grounds.
The recent ban triggered protests from a group of inmates, who demanded the resumption of sales. The arrest of Warder Patil suggests attempts to exploit this demand and illegally supply banned items.
Alarmingly, this is the second instance in just three months where a prison warder has been caught trying to smuggle banned goods into the Bengaluru Central Prison. In October, another warder named Amar Praje was allegedly caught attempting to enter the prison with a mobile phone hidden in his undergarment after hoodwinking security personnel.
These consecutive incidents have raised serious questions about internal security protocols and the potential involvement of prison staff in illicit activities within the correctional facility.
