Mobile phone, drugs thrown over Hindalaga Central Jail wall
CCTV captures incident
Belagavi: In a serious security breach, a miscreant was caught on CCTV throwing a mobile phone and drugs over the wall of the Hindalaga Central Jail in Belagavi. The incident occurred around 3 am on December 29 and has raised fresh concerns over prison security in Karnataka.
According to officials, the accused arrived near the jail premises in Hindalaga village in the early hours of the morning with his face covered by a mask. He allegedly tied prohibited items, including a mobile phone and drugs, to a piece of cloth and hurled them over the jail wall before fleeing the spot. The entire act was captured on the jail’s CCTV cameras.
The incident came to light after jail staff discovered a mobile phone near Circle No. 2, close to Barrack No. 2 inside the prison. Based on a complaint filed by Assistant Superintendent Mallikarjun Konnur, who stated that Chief Warden D M Gothe noticed the prohibited item during duty hours, Belagavi Rural Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. The complaint also seeks identification of inmates who may have possessed or used the banned items thrown into the prison. Police officials visited the spot, reviewed CCTV footage and are making efforts to trace the accused involved in the act.
Authorities admitted that controlling such activities outside prison premises has become increasingly challenging. Despite coordinated efforts by the police and prison staff, miscreants continue to exploit dark hours and vulnerable points along prison walls to smuggle contraband inside. The incident comes in the backdrop of recent controversies surrounding prison management in the state. Videos showing alleged special treatment being extended to certain inmates at Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Jail had gone viral recently. Following the uproar, complaints were filed against high-profile inmates including terror accused Juhab Shakeel Manna, serial killer Umesh Reddy, and gold smuggling case accused Tarun Kondaru.
Subsequent raids at Parappana Agrahara revealed a large cache of prohibited items, including 33 mobile phones, 22 SIM cards, chargers, ear buds, cash amounting to ₹49,000, knives and other electronic devices. The state government had suspended senior prison officials and transferred the Chief Superintendent in connection with the lapses.
The latest incident at Hindalaga Jail has once again highlighted the urgent need to strengthen prison surveillance and security mechanisms to prevent the smuggling of contraband and maintain discipline within correctional facilities.
