Bengaluru psychologist held for smuggling phone into central jail

Indian Express

15-06-2025

A 33-year-old prison counsellor has been arrested in Bengaluru for allegedly attempting to smuggle a mobile phone into the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, said the police Saturday. The accused has been identified as Navyashree K M, who worked as a contract-based psychologist in the prison's hospital wing.
According to the FIR, Navyashree attempted to smuggle a Redmi mobile phone into the premises last Friday. She was caught during a routine security check by personnel from the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF). A handheld metal detector alerted the guards, prompting a detailed search, during which the phone was reportedly found hidden in her private parts.
Prison authorities handed her over to the Parappana Agrahara police, who booked her under Section 323 (Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and provisions of the Karnataka Prisons Act.
A senior police officer confirmed that the device was meant for an undertrial prisoner. Investigators are now attempting to determine who gave her the phone, the identity of the intended recipient, and the nature of her relationship with the inmate. The police are also probing if this incident was part of a larger pattern and whether she had smuggled phones into the jail before.
In another case, a 43-year-old domestic worker was arrested for allegedly stealing Rs 67 lakh in cash and valuables worth Rs 70 lakh from her employer's home in Chamarajpet, Bengaluru.
The accused, identified as Uma alias Salma, hails from Chamarajanagar and had been employed as a house help for a bedridden woman named Sujatha. She has been booked under BNS Section 306 (theft by servant).
According to a complaint filed by Radha, Sujatha's 72-year-old sister, the theft occurred at their residence, where a large sum of cash was stored after the family sold a property near Electronics City. The money was reportedly kept in a locker at Sujatha's house.
Uma, who had joined the household two months ago, is believed to have learned about the cash and valuables. Last month, seizing an opportunity when fewer people were at home, she allegedly made away with the loot.
The theft came to light when Sujatha's family decided to buy a flat in Chamarajpet and discovered the locker empty. When questioned, Uma initially denied any involvement but later confessed during police interrogation.
The police recovered Rs 57 lakh in cash and valuables worth Rs 70 lakh from her possession.