Several pornographic videos were found on a mobile phone seized from jailed former Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna during a raid at Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, police said.
Forensic analysis of the devices seized from Prajwal’s barrack found 147 video clips on the mobile phone, including pornographic material. More than 100 videos, including movies and web series, were found on a pen drive. This took the total number of video files recovered from the two devices to more than 250, according to police.
The mobile phone, SIM card, charger, pen drive and a notebook were seized during a surprise inspection conducted by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) on August 11. Prajwal was allegedly found using an Android phone inside the high-security barrack where he was lodged.
Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, served as the Lok Sabha MP from Hassan between 2019 and 2024. He was arrested in May 2024 in connection with four sexual assault cases and was convicted in one of the rape cases.
A Bengaluru special court sentenced him to life imprisonment in August 2025, following which he was transferred to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.
A case was registered at the Parappana Agrahara police station following the seizure. Police subsequently arrested five people for allegedly arranging the phone and SIM card and facilitating their entry into the prison.
Investigators have alleged that Prajwal paid around Rs 1 lakh to obtain the phone and SIM card. According to police, Rs 70,000 was paid for the handset and Rs 30,000 for the SIM card.
Jail warden Prakash Gawade allegedly handed the mobile phone to Prajwal, while undertrial prisoner Mohammed Tausif allegedly concealed the SIM card in his mouth and brought it into the prison. Police said Gawade later supplied the charger and pen drive as well.
Investigators have identified the other accused as Naveen Kumar, Manjunath and Siddiqui, along with Gawade. Police said Naveen and Siddiqui arranged the phone and SIM, while Manjunath allegedly connected them with Prajwal and Gawade.
During questioning, Prajwal denied owning the phone and said it was being circulated among inmates on a rotational basis. He also denied downloading or knowing about the pornographic videos found on the device. He reportedly told investigators that he primarily used the phone to make regular and video calls.
Police are examining the phone’s call records to determine who used it and when. A notebook seized during the raid contained phone numbers of Prajwal’s family members and acquaintances. Investigators said the call records showed unauthorised communication with family members through intermediaries, as well as calls to a female friend. Prajwal reportedly acknowledged speaking to the woman.
Police are expected to issue notices to people whose numbers appear in the call history as part of the investigation into the use of the prohibited phone inside the prison.
The investigation has also uncovered a wider network allegedly involved in smuggling mobile phones into Parappana Agrahara prison. Officials said phones that cost around Rs 10,000 outside the prison were allegedly sold to inmates for between Rs 75,000 and Rs 2 lakh.
In separate cases, police arrested prison officials allegedly linked to the supply of prohibited phones to inmates. Chief warden Vijay Kumar was arrested over allegations that he supplied a phone and SIM card to an inmate identified as Bharat alias KTM Bharat. Warden Srinivas Naik was arrested after investigators linked him to the alleged supply of around 12 phones to inmates.
The probe into the wider network began after several phones and SIM cards were recovered from the prison. Police are also examining whether other prison staff, inmates and personnel responsible for frisking were involved in bringing prohibited devices into the facility.
According to prison department data, nearly 300 mobile phones have been seized from prisons across Karnataka this year. DGP (Prisons and Correctional Services) Alok Kumar said 299 phones had been seized by prison officials, while the CCB recovered the phone from Prajwal during its raid.
Prajwal and his co-inmate Prathap Rai were produced before a court on September 8 and remanded to three days of police custody for questioning. They were sent back to prison on September 10.
Rai has denied involvement in the use of the phone, saying Prajwal had been using it even before Rai joined him in the barrack.