The footage also alleges the prevalence of favouritism towards wealthy inmates, which includes allowing them to have outside food and other luxuries.
The Hindalga jail, one of the oldest jails in the state, has come into the spotlight again after a prisoner, Prashant Mogaveer, released a video exposing various irregularities and security lapses within the prison.
The video, recorded using a cell phone, sheds light on the malfunctioning CCTV cameras and cell phone jammers in the jail, which, the prisoner claims, have been inactive for the past two years.
Furthermore, the footage also alleges the prevalence of favouritism towards wealthy inmates, which includes allowing them to have outside food and other luxuries.
The Hindalga jail gained nationwide attention earlier, when two inmates used smuggled cell phones to make threatening calls to Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s office, demanding a hefty ransom.
One of the convicts involved in the incident, Jayesh Pujari, has been serving a life sentence since 2013 for a murder in Mangaluru. Pujari, who later converted to Islam while being in prison and adopted the name Shakeer Ahmed, claimed to be associated with terrorist Basiruddin Noorahmed, also known as Afsar Pasha.
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Pujari, revealing his alleged links to terrorist activities in Bengaluru. Both state and central intelligence agencies suspect Pujari of working for the infamous gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
In his video, Mogaveer also recorded the locations where non-functioning CCTV cameras were fixed across the jail premises, along with the dead mobile phone jammer accessories. Mogaveer also narrated the video commentary in Kannada language.
In a surprising turn of events, Mogaveer, a prisoner from Kundapur, allegedly captured the jail’s lapses on his cell phone and shared the video with contacts outside the prison.
Authorities have filed an FIR against Mogaveer for violating prison norms and using a cell phone, which is prohibited inside the jail zone.
Mogaveer, who has been sentenced to the death penalty by the Kundapur court, was lodged in Karwar jail and later shifted to Belagavi jail on Feb 22, 2018.
Belagavi rural inspector Vijaykumar Shinnur, who is investigating the case, said cases under Section 424 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 42 of the Prisons Amendment Act have been framed against the accused. “We are investigating how the cell phone was available to the prisoner,” he said.
The superintendent of the jail, Krishnakumar, dismissed the claims in the video, stating that the contents are false and baseless.
He also assured that an internal investigation will be conducted, and appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken against any erring staff members. Regarding the non-functional CCTV cameras and cell phone jammers, the prison department has been alerted, and corrective measures are expected shortly.
Krishnakumar K, who watched the video, told HT that apart from focusing on the technical errors, Mogaveer also highlighted the alleged corruption among the jail staff. He accused them of renting out their cellphones to prisoners and supplying outside food to those who were influenced.
Krishnakumar said, “The jail agrees about the non-functioning of CCTV cameras and mobile phone jammer. However, the allegations levelled against my staff are false and baseless, made to defame the image of the jail.”
Hindalga jail, which is celebrating its 100th year, has a capacity to house 1,400 prisoners. It has been historically significant, hosting freedom fighters, prominent politicians, and even international criminals like Charles Shobraj.
The prison currently holds 27 inmates facing capital punishment, including notorious criminals associated with Veerappan’s gang, Dandupalya dacoits, and suspected SIMI activists.
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