Bengaluru Prison Scandal: Inmate Flouts Phone Rules with Warder's Help

When Pradosh, an accused‑turned‑approver in the high‑profile Renukaswamy murder case, wanted to hear his wife's voice, he apparently decided the prison’s strict phone‑call rules were more of a suggestion than a law.

According to a written complaint filed on September 14 by B.M. Kotresh, superintendent of Bengaluru’s Central Prison, Pradosh had already filled up the three‑number quota allotted to every inmate – all of them listed as lawyers. Wanting to add his spouse’s number, he is said to have disguised it as the contact of a lawyer named “Santosh.”

The twist? The mobile was not entered under his own name at all. Prison records show that the same number was lodged under the identity of another detainee – Mounesh H. Kori, a watchman‑warder who, coincidentally, had been released just weeks earlier, on July 26, 2026.

Investigators allege that Kori, who was tasked with registering phone numbers in the Annex‑1 block, knowingly helped Pradosh pull off the ruse. By using the freed inmate’s name, Pradosh could bypass the three‑number cap and place calls to his wife without raising an immediate red flag.

Prison officials say the breach came to light during a routine audit of registered numbers. Once senior officials were alerted, they moved quickly – filing a formal complaint with the Parappana Agrahara police and launching an internal inquiry into the warder’s conduct.

Under the prison’s communication policy, an inmate may register a maximum of three numbers belonging to family members, legal counsel or other authorised contacts. Any deviation, especially one that involves falsifying another inmate’s details, is a serious violation and can attract disciplinary action, including possible criminal charges.

The episode adds another layer of intrigue to the already complex Renukaswamy murder investigation, which has already seen several arrests, confessions and now, apparently, a bit of courtroom‑style subterfuge within the prison walls.

While the inquiry is ongoing, the prison administration has promised stricter monitoring of phone‑register entries and a review of warder‑inmate interactions to prevent similar lapses in the future.