Prison Inmate Swallows Mobile Phone At Shivamogga Central Prison, Undergoes Surgery

An inmate serving a sentence at Shivamogga Central Prison, convicted for ganja-peddling, allegedly swallowed a mobile phone in a bizarre incident that has shocked jail authorities.

Doulath, alias Gundu, 30, approached the prison staff on June 24, complaining of severe stomach pain. He claimed he had accidentally swallowed a piece of stone. Concerned about his condition, the staff rushed him to McGann Hospital for medical attention.

Doctors, upon examination, detected a foreign object in his stomach and advised immediate surgery. To their surprise, they discovered not a stone, but a mobile phone measuring approximately one inch in width and three inches in length lodged inside his stomach.

The surgery was successfully performed, and the mobile phone was recovered on July 8. The hospital authorities then handed over the device to the prison officials.

Following the recovery, Chief Superintendent of Prison P. Ranganath lodged a complaint with Tunga Nagar Police on July 9, leading to a case being registered against Doulath. He has now been booked under charges of possessing a prohibited item inside the prison.

Doulath was earlier convicted by the Shivamogga district court in June 2024 in connection with a drug-peddling case. He is currently serving a 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence.

The incident has raised fresh concerns about how prohibited items like mobile phones continue to make their way inside high-security jails.

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