Months after the Supreme Court warned authorities about preferential treatment for high-profile inmates in Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, a fresh scandal has erupted.
A series of leaked videos has once again pulled the curtain back on a troubling reality — for powerful criminals, prison is anything but punishment.
The clips, which surfaced on Saturday, show high-security prisoners casually using smartphones, watching TV, and moving about freely inside what is supposed to be one of the country’s most secure jails.
In one video, convicted serial rapist and murderer Umesh Reddy, linked to nearly 20 horrific crimes between 1996 and 2022, is seen talking on a smartphone while relaxing in front of a television.
Another video shows Juhad Hameed Shakeel Manna, accused of recruiting for ISIS, operating both a smartphone and a basic handset alongside other inmates, as if in a college hostel — not a jail cell.
Additional Inspector General of Prisons P.V. Anand Reddy confirmed the clips date back to 2023 and 2025, and a probe has been ordered to track how phones entered the facility and who leaked the footage.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has demanded a detailed report, calling for strong action against those responsible for the security breakdown. Yet this is hardly the first time the jail has made headlines.
Just months ago, another viral video showed gangster Srinivas alias Gubbachi Seena celebrating his birthday behind bars — with cake, garlands, and a large knife to cut the cake.
High-profile inmates have also been captured smoking, using mobile phones, and interacting freely, including actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, whose special treatment triggered earlier court intervention.
A Tale of Two Prisons: Power vs. Poverty
These expos highlight a darker truth long whispered but rarely acknowledged — money and muscle turn prison into privilege.
For the well-connected, jail becomes a controlled comfort zone — phones, food, favours, and even temporary exits are possible.
As one officer candidly admitted, “If someone has money, jail is the safest place. They get everything — biryani, mutton, phones — and sometimes they even step out quietly before returning.”
You may be a serial killer, rapis, murderer, or even an ISIS recruiter; all you need is money stashed somewhere that keeps reaching the jail authorities. But some jail authorities, in large numbers, are strict, but then they are silenced by superiors
But for the poor, the story is starkly different.
No influence. No protection. No access to special treatment.
For them, jail is not just confinement — it is hardship, humiliation, and fear.
Prison walls, it seems, don’t just separate criminals from society — they separate the powerful from the powerless.
As this scandal unfolds, India is once again forced to confront an uncomfortable question: Is justice equal for all — or only for those who can afford it?
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