Karnataka Police Investigate Former MP Prajwal Revanna for Mobile Phone Use in Prison
Investigation into Mobile Phone Use by Former MP
File image of the accused Prajwal Revanna(Photo: IANS)
Bengaluru, Sep 8: The Karnataka Police are preparing to take former JD(S) Member of Parliament, Prajwal Revanna, into custody for questioning regarding the alleged possession of a mobile phone within Bengaluru Central Prison, where he is currently serving a life sentence for a rape conviction.
Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, the son of JD(S) MLA H.D. Revanna, and the nephew of Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
On Tuesday, authorities presented Revanna and another inmate, Pratap, at the Special Court for MPs and MLAs in Bengaluru. The police are requesting custody of both individuals under a body warrant to investigate the circumstances surrounding the recovery and use of the mobile phone in the prison.
The investigation began after an Android phone, a pen drive, and a charger were reportedly found in Revanna’s cell at Bengaluru Central Prison.
A video surfaced allegedly showing Revanna using a mobile phone from his VIP cell, which raised concerns about prison security and led to the filing of an FIR and subsequent investigation.
According to police reports, Pratap, who shared a cell with Revanna, is the primary accused, while Revanna is the secondary accused.
The police anticipate taking Revanna into custody by Tuesday evening, pending court approval. Pratap will also be presented in court alongside Revanna.
Initial investigations have indicated that a SIM card registered in Andhra Pradesh was used with the mobile phone found in the cell.
Revanna has reportedly claimed that the mobile phone belonged to Pratap, who was his cellmate.
Authorities are also examining a diary found in the cell, which allegedly contained contact information for Revanna’s family members. Investigators have noted that calls were made to some of these relatives using the confiscated mobile phone.
The police plan to question both Revanna and Pratap about various aspects of the case, including the acquisition of the Andhra Pradesh SIM card, how the mobile phone was smuggled into the prison, and whether there were any breaches of security protocols.
Investigators are also looking into whether anyone, either inside or outside the prison, assisted in providing the mobile phone or SIM card.