Bengaluru Prison Psychiatrist Caught Selling Phones to Inmates in ₹1 Crore Racket

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A psychiatrist assigned to Bengaluru Central Prison has been arrested for allegedly running a racket that involved smuggling mobile phones into the jail and selling them to inmates, including high-profile convicts, for inflated prices. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which uncovered the operation, revealed that Dr. Nagaraj bought phones for around ₹8,000 each and sold them for as much as ₹25,000, earning close to ₹1 crore.

The NIA, which is probing a larger radicalisation and terror funding case involving Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives, found that the psychiatrist supplied around 250 phones to inmates over time. These phones were allegedly used by prisoners to make extortion calls, communicate with operatives outside the prison, and even plot serious crimes, including terror-related activities.

Investigators also detained a woman named Pavithra, who is suspected to have helped coordinate the illegal sale and movement of mobile phones. Records show she received about ₹70 lakh in her account from the illicit sales.

Among those believed to have benefited from the phone racket is T. Naseer, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative serving time for terrorism-related charges. Authorities suspect he continued to direct illegal operations from within the jail using the smuggled devices.

In addition to Dr. Nagaraj, Assistant Sub-Inspector Chand Pasha from the City Armed Reserve was also arrested for allegedly leaking escort schedules of inmates, posing a serious security threat. Another individual, Anees Fathima, the mother of an absconding accused, was arrested for her alleged involvement in facilitating money transfers to prisoners.

The NIA recovered SIM cards, encrypted communication devices, walkie-talkies, and documents related to explosives during raids across Bengaluru and Kolar. The arrests have raised concerns over prison security and the involvement of insiders in aiding criminal and terror networks.