How Bengaluru prison inmates are using WhatsApp to run extortion racket

An extortion racket operating from Bengaluru Central Prison has revealed enforcement gaps regarding mobile phone use.

An extortion racket allegedly being operated from inside Bengaluru Central Prison has exposed serious loopholes in the enforcement of mobile phone restrictions behind bars.

These convicts manage to obtain contact details of undertrial inmates while in prison. (Pixabay/Representative)

Despite multiple crackdowns on the use of phones in jail, convicted inmates, especially those with criminal histories as rowdy-sheeters, have been found using WhatsApp to extort money from undertrial prisoners who are recently released on bail.

According to a report in The New Indian Express, these convicts manage to obtain contact details of undertrial inmates while in prison. Once the undertrials are released, the convicts reach out to them via WhatsApp, issue death threats, and demand money.

The victims are instructed to transfer the funds through UPI to various bank accounts linked to the convicts' relatives. These relatives, in turn, deliver the cash to the prison, helping the inmates sustain a relatively lavish lifestyle behind bars, the report further added.

The racket came to light after Arul Kumar (36), who was released on bail in a drug case, lodged a complaint with the Central Crime Branch (CCB). In his complaint, Arul alleged that convicts Harshith and Gangaraju, both serving time for rape, along with another individual named Likith, were involved in the extortion scheme. The FIR also named Nelson Sawan alias Bablu, Viji alias Guru, Chetan, and Shankar as key players in the operation.

The complaint further noted that Chetan, an undertrial in a murder case, was channeling extorted funds through a relative named Lokesh Rao. Another notorious rowdy-sheeter, Shekhar, was also found to have received money through this system.

A CCB officer confirmed that the mobile numbers listed in the FIR would be verified and that an investigation was underway to trace the financial transactions. Initial estimates suggest that the extorted amounts ranged from ₹5,000 to ₹15,000 per transaction.