State home minister G Parameshwara said the prisoners seen in the photos will be relocated to different jails in the state.Officials from Central Jail filed three complaints over alleged privileges extended to actor Darshan and the rowdies in prison. The FIRs were registered at Parappana Agrahara police station Monday.
A photograph showing Darshan sitting on the prison lawns and smoking with Wilson Garden rowdy Naga, rowdy-sheeter Srinivas, and Nagaraj, a co-accused in a murder case involving Darshan, surfaced on WhatsApp groups Sunday. Hours later, a 25-second clip appeared showing the actor and a fellow prisoner making a video call.
Parameshwara initially announced suspension of seven jail officers who he said were directly involved in granting undue privileges to Darshan and the other inmates. As he emerged from jail after an inspection Monday, he said the chief superintendent and assistant superintendent of the prison were also suspended.
Admitting serious lapse, the minister said senior IPS officers will probe the irregularity and others found guilty will also be suspended.
The nine suspended officers are chief superintendent V Seshumurthy, assistant superintendent Mallikarjuna Swamy, jailers Sharana Basava Ameengad and Prabhu S Khandelwal, assistant jailers LS Tippe Swamy and Srikanth Thalwar, and head warders Venkappa Korthi, Sampath Kumar Gadapatti and Basappa Teli.
Opposition BJP accused deputy CM DK Shivakumar of facilitating special privileges for Darshan. “Shivakumar met him in prison & assured help,” said R Ashoka.
A senior police officer said one of the three cases is in connection with Darshan and others sitting in the lawn sipping tea and smoking. The second case is about the video-call clip, while the third pertains to a few staff and inmates moving about suspiciously inside prison in the early hours during central crime branch sleuths’ surprise visit on Saturday.