Mobile phone found with Prajwal Revanna in jail; CCB registers case under Prisons Act

Bengaluru: An Android mobile phone was found inside the barrack of former MP Prajwal Revanna during a four-to-five-hour Central Crime Branch (CCB) search at Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, raising questions over how the device entered the high-security facility.

The phone was seized from Revanna’s barrack during the CCB raid on Tuesday, August 11, Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services) Alok Kumar said on Wednesday.

The search targeted high-profile prisoners as well as other inmates housed in the High Security Prison. According to Kumar, no other contraband items were found during the operation.

Following the seizure, the CCB lodged a complaint with the Parappana Agrahara Police Station, with registration of an FIR in progress, Kumar said.

“On Tuesday afternoon, the CCB conducted the raid. One android phone has been seized from Prajjwal Revanna's barrack,” Kumar said.

The development has also triggered action against prison officials. Assistant Superintendent Iranna Rangapur has been suspended based on a report submitted by the DIG (South) for alleged dereliction of duty. The Superintendent of Bengaluru Central Prison has also been issued a show-cause notice.

A detailed enquiry is now underway into the incident.

Revanna’s barrack was searched days earlier

The seizure has also drawn attention to an earlier search of Revanna’s barrack. Prison authorities had searched the barrack on August 6, but no contraband item was found at the time, Kumar said.

The subsequent CCB raid on August 11 involved searches of various high-profile prisoners and other inmates in the High Security Prison and lasted around four to five hours.

Kumar said no other contraband item was recovered during the operation.

Who is Prajwal Revanna?

Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and son of JD(S) leader H D Revanna, represented Hassan in the Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024.

He was arrested in May 2024 in connection with sexual assault cases and was later convicted in a rape case. In August 2025, a special court in Bengaluru sentenced him to life imprisonment, following which he was lodged at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.

The ongoing enquiry is expected to find out how the Android phone reached Revanna’s barrack and whether any prison personnel were responsible for the security lapse.

With PTI inputs