From Rs 1.2 lakh salary to Rs 540 labour: What awaits Prajwal Revanna in Bengaluru jail

Prajwal Revanna, the former Lok Sabha MP from Hassan, who once earned a basic salary of Rs 1.2 lakh per month plus allowances, now finds himself lodged in Bengaluru Central Prison as inmate number 15528.

Serving a life sentence, his new earnings are limited to a maximum of Rs 540 per month — the fixed wage for convicts working full-time inside the prison.

What work will Prajwal Revanna do in prison?

According to jail officials, Revanna is yet to be assigned a job. Convicts sentenced to rigorous imprisonment are required to work six days a week, typically for eight-hour shifts.

New prisoners are usually given unskilled jobs such as assisting in the prison bakery or tailoring. After a year, based on conduct and capability, they may be moved to more skilled tasks like weaving or metalwork. Work assignments are typically finalised every Monday, and Revanna is expected to receive his soon.

What does daily life in jail look like?

Revanna’s daily routine now begins at 6:30 am, followed by a standardised menu of meals. Breakfast items vary daily: veg pulao on Sundays, tomato bath on Mondays, chitranna on Tuesdays, poha on Wednesdays, puliyogare on Thursdays, upma on Fridays, and vangibhath on Saturdays. Lunch and dinner are standardised — chapatis, ragi balls, white rice, sambar, and buttermilk. Prisoners are served mutton on the first and third Friday and chicken on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. An egg is added to the meal on Tuesdays.

All inmates must return to their barracks by 6:30 pm. Revanna, like others, is allowed two 10-minute phone calls per week and one in-person visit from family or friends.

Are convicts paid for prison labour?

While Revanna awaits his first task, over 1,500 convicts across Karnataka prisons are already engaged in various prison industries. However, a senior official revealed that wages worth nearly ₹3 crore are pending for these inmates. The delay in payments has affected prisoners across the state’s 14,500-strong inmate population, spread over eight central jails and several district-level facilities. The government has reportedly promised to clear the dues soon.

Once a member of Parliament, Prajwal Revanna was disqualified in April 2024. Following his conviction in a criminal case, his incarceration marks a steep fall from political prominence to prison anonymity. Now subject to the same rules and rations as any other prisoner, his days of power and privilege have been replaced by routine, restrictions, and regulated meals.