Inside Bengaluru's prison politics: How 'Panchis' represent money and muscle power

BENGALURU: Did you know that it is mandatory to conduct election inside prisons too? And prisoners are allotted portfolios accordingly?

But no one knows about this including 80 per cent of the prison officials in the now infamous

Bengaluru Central Jail

, which is also called as Parappana Agrahara Jail.

Election rule is for democracy inside prison and there will be 6 different portfolios related to catering and food for jail birds. Prisoners are the voters and candidates. Winners are called 'Panchis', and the entire community of prisoners is under the

Panchis

, who're their elected rulers.

Outgoing Prison DIG D Roopa alleged that Jail Superintendent Krishna Kumar's followers became the Panchis of Parappana Agrahara without conducting election for the past one year.

"Those Panchis were not elected officially, they're using muscle power and with help of jailers, they got these positions," D Roopa said.

Prison polls are held through muscle and money power, along with political influence. As a result, prisoners can get away with going on strikes occasionally.

It is the Panchis' job to maintain the jail canteen. This has turned into a highly lucrative business for the prisoners, who earn more than a lakh rupees per month by running the canteen. Candidates for the post of Panchi spend lakhs of rupees for the jail election, since one victory qualifies them to rule over the prison for 6 months.

"In winter, there is maximum demand for tea and coffee. If 4,000 jailbirds drink tea/coffee, 2-10 times in a day, they will get nearly Rs 10,000 profit per day. Some inmates cook for themselves, for which they will purchase items from the jail canteen itself. If a minimum 2,000 convicts do business in canteen, it will bring a huge profit for the Panchis.

For this very reason, everyone from the jailer to eminent officers want a slice of this highly profitable pie.

"Actually this is not corruption, it's an understanding business that has taken place for 70 years," said some prisoners who are fighting to change the prison for a good cause.

Shivakumar, Rakesh, Venkatarama, Putta, Nagesha and some others are the Panchis in jail. They've been convicted for life for serious crimes like murder and so, no one in the prison dares to speak against them.


Read this story in Kannada