Months after the issue of special treatment for high-profile prisoners like VK Sasikala rocked Karnataka, a policeman was booked on Wednesday for trying to smuggle two smartphones to the prime accused in the 2008 Bengaluru blast case.
The 2008 serial blast cases in Bengaluru claimed two lives and left at least another 25 injured.
The accused – Dinesh, a City Armed Reserve (CAR) constable was arrested after prison officials of the Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Jail found two Samsung Galaxy-2 mobile phones upon frisking.
“He has confessed that he was asked to give the phones to Nasir from a person at the court. We are questioning Dinesh about that person and are trying to know why Nasir wanted a phone,” an official told Deccan Chronicle.
Dinesh had arrived at the prison around 9:30 am on Wednesday with the body warrant of another prison and had submitted his personal mobile phone at the gate. But the guards frisked him after he started walking awkwardly, said media reports.
Parappana Agrahara police registered a case under sections of IPC 424 (dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property), 42 of Prison’s Act (penalty for introduction or removal of prohibited articles) and 13 (1) D of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“We have taken up a case based on the complaint filed by the prison authorities,” MB Boralingaiah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast), told The Hindu.
According to police, Dinesh had accepted a bribe of Rs 5,000 from 2008 Bengaluru blast case accused Thadiyantevide Nasir alias Ummer Haji’s associates.
Dinesh had been tasked with escorting Nasir from the prison to court and back for the last three years.
This arrest comes in the wake of raids conducted by the local police at the prison. Small packets of ganja, four sim cards were recovered in the raids.