BENGALURU: A video showing a history-sheeter arrested under the Goonda Act celebrating his birthday inside the barracks of Central Prison (Parappana Agrahara) went viral on Friday, raising questions over the use of smartphones inside the jail, which is strictly prohibited.
The birthday man was identified as Rizwan alias Kulla (short) Rizwan. A rowdy-sheeter from Subramanyapura police station limits in south Bengaluru, Rizwan is imprisoned since December 2019 after cops arrested him in two separate murder cases, including a double-murder case reported this April.
In October, south division police led by DCP Harish Pandey had booked him under the Goonda Act. In November, the committee formed to review Rizwan’s arrest concurred with police action. Accordingly, Rizwan will not get bail until November 2021.
The 15-second video taken from a mobile phone shows Rizwan, accompanied by a few associates, walking into the barracks and heading towards the cake placed on a table. A couple of co-inmates, said to be suspects arrested in the same double-murder case, are seen greeting Rizwan. A Kannada movie song plays in the background. The video went viral. “Celebrations of birthdays, festivals and other happy occasions are allowed inside the barracks. But we are not sure how the video was taken. Senior prison officials may order an inquiry into the matter,” prison sources said.
Sources said in the double-murder case, Subramanyapura police had arrested 24 persons. “Rizwan, who was in the prison then, was named as the mastermind and also the financier. Some his of accomplices are seen in the video,” they added. Rizwan’s men had hacked rowdy-sheeter Mukund and his friend Manoj to death in Subramanyapura limits on April 12.
Asked about the cake, a prison official said, “Small cakes are available at the prison canteen. In this case, it looks like Rizwan’s aides had prepared it using biscuits.”