BENGALURU: For the second time, videos showing ‘VIP treatment’ inside the Parappana Agrahara Central jail have gone viral. Jail authorities are trying to pass them off as old footage, but multiple pieces of evidence suggest the clips are actually only two to three months old.
The gold smuggler Ranya Rao’s close associate Tarun Raj was sent to jail in April of this year. The recently released videos show that inmates now have access to TV, Android mobiles, cooking ingredients, alcohol, vegetables and snacks—basically everything found outside.
In one of the clips, a Bangalore Press calendar is visible in Tarun’s cell; the person filming deliberately pans to it two or three times to show it as a recent video. The calendar shows the month of November 2025, which means the video could have been shot this month.
Videos showing serial papist Umesh Reddy and the notorious Shakil Manna were using phone inside the jail.
All of this points to jail officials providing illicit luxuries for money. An investigation led by the Prisons department DIG is already under way, and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), B Dayananda is expected to submit a report today. Based on that report, further disciplinary action against jail officials is likely.
Home Minister G Parameshwara has also taken the matter seriously, holding a meeting with senior jail officers and other officials. After the meeting, besides the disciplinary actions, there are talks of forming a special team to probe the case further.
Darshan’s close friend, Dhanveer, is also being questioned by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) with regard to the viral videos. The CCB seized his mobile, sent it for retrieval and forwarded it to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). After a four‑hour interrogation, the CCB said they would summon him again if necessary.
