Bengaluru: Srinivas alias Gubbachi (Sparrow) Seena, a notorious rowdy from Bengaluru, celebrated his birthday in grand style, surrounded by friends and associates, cutting a cake and being garlanded with apples. But he did all this while locked up at the city’s Parappana Agrahara Central Jail—the most high-security correctional facility in Karnataka, according to a purported video of the criminal doing the rounds of social media.
The undated video of Seena, in prison on murder and other charges, apparently shows him revelling inside the jail.
Former Bengaluru police commissioner and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhaskar Rao pointed out on X that the inmate celebrated his birthday with “total impunity”.
“Parrapana Agrahara Jail is in news again!!!!! A massive cake enters the jail and a rowdy with all his incarcerated mini Rowdies celebrates his birthday with total impunity and the same is recorded and uploaded on Social Media,” he posted.
Parrapana Agrahara Jail is in news again !!!!! A massive cake enters the jail and a rowdy with all his incarcerated mini Rowdies celebrate his birthday with total impunity and the same is recorded and uploaded on Social Media…..!!!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣@DrParameshwara has now abdicated &… pic.twitter.com/DsQxPi4kVj
— Bhaskar Rao (@Nimmabhaskar22) October 5, 2025
He tagged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara to point to the brazen mockery of the criminal justice system.
Reports indicate that the video is a couple of months old, but surfaced Sunday.
However, this is not the first time that Parappana Agrahara jail or its inmates have been in the headlines.
Last August, Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, the main accused in a murder case, was seen enjoying his time in jail. In videos and pictures doing the rounds of social media, Darshan was purportedly seen relaxing outdoors with other inmates, sipping coffee and smoking a cigarette. In another viral video, he apparently participated in a video call with an aide, smiling and waving at the cameras.
Siddaramaiah had ordered a high-level inquiry at the time and even suspended several officials.
Thoogudeepa was later transferred out of Bengaluru jail and was also granted bail late last year. His bail has since been cancelled but he complained about poor prison facilities, saying they affected his health.
According to police officers, money can get you any level of comfort inside Bengaluru’s central jail.
In July 2017, then Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of prisons, D. Roopa, had submitted a report of widespread corruption, drug abuse, mismanagement and an alleged bribe paid by former Tamil Nadu CM J. Jayalalitha’s aide, Sasikala, to make her stay more comfortable inside Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara jail.
Sasikala, who was AIADMK general secretary at the time, had allegedly paid crores of rupees and received preferential treatment while serving time.
Roopa stated in her report that during her visit to the jail on 10 July, 2017, she found Sasikala was provided with a separate kitchen, among other serious irregularities that came to the fore, including drug abuse, unregulated movement of prisoners and threatening and assault of medical staff by prisoners for favourable reports.
The “Seena video” adds to reports that bribes can get one facilities inside Karnataka’s most high-security prison and piles on to the troubles of the Siddaramaiah-led government, which has witnessed a spate of controversies in the past few months.
The police had arrested Seena from the outskirts of the city this February. He allegedly stabbed a constable and was shot in the leg. He was wanted for the murder of another criminal, Musari Venkatesh, earlier in January. He also has cases of dacoity and other serious charges against him.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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