How Bengaluru prison psychiatrist smuggled phones to help Lashkar-e-Taiba aide run terror ops

A prison psychiatrist accused of orchestrating a high-stakes illegal mobile phone racket inside the Bengaluru Central Prison has been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with two others, in a case with grave implications for prison security and national security alike.

Dr Nagaraj, a government psychiatrist posted at the central prison, allegedly exploited his position to smuggle in mobile phones and sell or rent them to inmates, including Tadiyandavide Naseer alias T Naseer, a convicted Lashkar-e-Taiba operative serving a life sentence. According to TOI, NIA investigations revealed that the phones were being used not only for extortion, abductions and criminal activities but also to fuel radicalisation and coordinate terror-linked operations from within the jail.

TOI reported sources as saying that the racket run by Dr Nagaraj may have generated nearly Rs 1 crore. He reportedly sold Android phones, typically worth Rs 10,000, for over Rs 30,000, while also offering a “rental” model at Rs 500 for both the handset and SIM card. NIA sleuths believe that over 100 phones may have been smuggled in under his watch.

The breakthrough in the probe came after the agency followed the money trail to a nurse named Pallavi alias Pavithra, a known associate of the doctor. TOI reported that over Rs 70 lakh in suspicious transactions had been traced to her bank account. During questioning, she claimed that the funds belonged to Nagaraj.

Investigators suspect that Dr Nagaraj was able to sidestep security procedures, using his position as a doctor to avoid routine frisking at the prison gates. A senior officer was quoted by TOI: “Since he was a doctor, Nagaraj was not frisked regularly at the prison gates,” allowing him to bypass security systems, including jammers.

The two others arrested alongside Dr Nagaraj are Chand Pasha, an assistant sub-inspector in the City Armed Reserve, and Anees Fathima, the mother of radicalisation accused Junaid Ahmed, who remains absconding. The three were produced before a special court on Wednesday, where the NIA sought 10 days’ custody, but the court granted six.

As per TOI, special public prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar told the court: “The same mobile phones, supplied by Nagaraj, were used by Naseer and others for Lashkar-E-Taiba terror activities.” He further alleged that Chand Pasha, the police officer, had provided security support to Naseer and facilitated the spread of radical content, for which he was allegedly paid illegal gratification. Kumar also stated that Fathima was involved in channeling funds to other accused.

TOI also reported that the NIA is currently on the lookout for Satish Gowda, an employee at a private telecom company in Kolar, who is suspected to have provided SIM cards used in the racket.

Malini Krishnamurthy, Director General of Prisons and Correctional Facilities, confirmed that Nagaraj had earlier been linked to a 2023 case related to terror activities inside the prison, which was subsequently handed over to the NIA. “This arrest is a result of sustained investigation. We've now upgraded mobile jammers and are ensuring tighter checks,” she was quoted by TOI.

The episode has thrown a spotlight on gaping security lapses at the high-security prison. In a similar incident last month, a 33-year-old contract-based woman counsellor working at the Bengaluru Central Prison was caught attempting to smuggle in a mobile phone. She had reportedly hidden the device in her private parts and was apprehended during a routine security scan by Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) personnel.