Days after the Supreme Court made strong remarks about murder-accused Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa getting special treatment in jail, a viral video showing an undertrial prisoner celebrating his birthday inside Bengaluru's Central Prison has triggered an investigation. The video, which emerged on WhatsApp and Instagram, prompted ADGP (Prisons) B Dayananda to order a comprehensive inquiry, while prison officials filed a complaint with the Parappana Agrahara police seeking action. The police said they were verifying when exactly the incident took place. The video features Srinivasa, also known as Gubbachhi Seena, a rowdy-sheeter, celebrating his birthday with fellow inmates. The celebration included a cake and an apple garland, with Seena cutting the cake using a large knife. His fellow inmates allegedly filmed the party on a mobile phone, even though mobile phones are not allowed inside the jail. They later shared the video online, according to sources. According to the police, initial investigations reveal the celebration occurred four to five months ago. They have identified 10 inmates—Anand, Arun, Praveen, Surya, Mithun, Preeksith, Prajval, Chetan, Aravind, and Karthik—as being present at Seena's party. The widow of Seena's murdered rival discovered the video on his friends' social media accounts and submitted it to ADGP Dayananda's office a week ago, demanding accountability, the sources said. Seena faces murder charges for the killing of his rival in January 2025. The police arrested him the following month after shooting him in the leg when he allegedly attacked a constable. The police have launched an investigation to determine how mobile phones entered the facility and who enabled the prisoner's unauthorised birthday celebration, the sources added.
