Bengaluru, Nov. 18 -- Parappanna Agrahara Central Prison stands on the outskirts of Bengaluru, flanked by scattered farmland and intermittent stretches of state highways.

When it opened in 1997, officials described it as a modern correctional facility that would replace the old city jail, built by the British in the late 19th century, and introduce a new era of discipline and rehabilitation. Over the years, however, the prison has been the stage for a social and political farce, a sanctuary for those with influence, a hub of illicit trade and a chronic source of embarrassment for successive state governments.

The prison is witness to a tried-and-tested narrative template of scandal, where problems surface, committees are formed, officer...