Bengaluru: Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara in south Bengaluru has banned citrus fruits such as oranges and grapes, citing fears that inmates could ferment them to brew illicit alcohol inside the jail.Announcing the decision on Saturday, director general of police (prisons and correctional services) Alok Kumar said only select fruits — bananas, apples, mangoes, guavas and chikoos — will now be permitted, along with limited quantities of dry fruits.
The curbs are part of a broader clampdown by the prisons and correctional services department to tighten security and prevent the misuse of items brought from outside. Inmates will no longer be allowed to receive extra clothing or bedding. While undertrial prisoners may keep two sets of plain clothes, convicted prisoners will be provided with clothing and bedding by prison authorities. The department has also reiterated its ban on outside-cooked food.The restrictions follow repeated instances of prohibited items being smuggled into the jail through food consignments. The measures apply to the state’s largest prison, which houses around 4,800 inmates, including more than 3,400 undertrials.“Our main focus is to restrict cooked food from outside. Inmates can bring up to 2kg of fruits and 0.5kg of dry fruits during visiting hours. Only bananas, apples, mangoes, guavas and chikoos are allowed; fruits like grapes and oranges are not,” Kumar said, adding that 0.5kg of bakery items such as biscuits, cookies, namkeens and chips would also be permitted.Retired prison officials said grapes contain high natural sugar and yeast on their skins, making them ideal for fermentation. “Even small quantities can be fermented discreetly. Citrus fruits also aid fermentation, and their thick peels can be hollowed out to conceal drugs, metal objects, SIM cards or notes,” an official said.Citing earlier circulars, Kumar told TOI that banned items such as mobile phones, SIM cards and drugs were often smuggled into the prison concealed in cooked food and fruits. “It is humanly impossible to frisk everyone bringing food into an already overcrowded prison. We treat all inmates equally. Prison food quality is good and certified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, and we are open to grievances related to food, clothing and bedding,” he said.Kumar added that inmate self-cooking arrangements have also been stopped, with stoves and cooking utensils seized. Exceptions will be made in cases where inmates produce court orders or medical prescriptions for home food, he said.
