Probe looks at possible staff help for Prajwal Revanna to hide phone in jail

Kumar said there had been instances where CCB searches did not result in seizures, while prison department inspections led to the recovery of mobile phones, and vice versa.

“We cannot say that because nothing was found during one search, there were no prohibited items. We suspect that some prison staff may be alerting inmates about raids. Those responsible will be questioned and the loopholes will be addressed,” he said.

The prison department is conducting a detailed inquiry into how the phone remained undetected during earlier searches, officials said.

Kumar said the use of mobile phones in the prison remains a challenge despite the installation of high-tech signal jammers. Officials have identified certain areas of the prison where mobile signals are still accessible, and have approached telecom authorities to address these blind spots.

According to prison officials, some of the active SIM cards detected inside prisons were Airtel connections issued in Andhra Pradesh. The prison department has sought details from the telecom operator to verify the subscriber information.

Revanna found without prison uniform

Kumar also confirmed that Revanna was not wearing the prison uniform when the CCB conducted the raid. “We had received a complaint regarding the same three months ago, and I had issued a memo directing inmates to strictly follow the rules and wear the prescribed prison uniform. Yesterday, he was not wearing it, and despite the memo, the instruction was not followed,” he said.

Following the phone seizure, the department has suspended an assistant superintendent of prisons pending an inquiry and served a showcause notice on the superintendent.

After the CCB operation, prison authorities carried out extensive searches across the facility, including the barrack housing actor Darshan and other high-profile inmates. Officials said no prohibited items were found during these searches.

The prison department is also reviewing its security mechanisms, including surveillance systems and mobile-phone jammers, while examining whether prison personnel could have played any role in facilitating the entry or use of unauthorised electronic devices.

According to prison department data, nearly 300 mobile phones have been seized from prisons across Karnataka since the beginning of this year. Officials suspect that some unauthorised devices may still be in use on prison premises.