Army Arms Theft Accused Sent To Judicial Custody
The missing items included AK-203 rifles, an INSAS rifle, 9mm pistols, a civilian pistol, night-vision binoculars and ammunition.
Hyderabad:The accused arrested in connection with the theft of service weapons and ammunition from the 20 Madras Regiment at Bolarum was produced before a court on Thursday and remanded in judicial custody.
Police are likely to seek his custody again, as he allegedly did not fully cooperate with investigators during 10 days of questioning.
The accused, U. Mallesh, has maintained that he acted alone and has not disclosed the involvement of any accomplices. Investigators, however, suspect that the theft of several weapons and ammunition from the regiment’s secured storage facility may not have been carried out by a single person.Police have been examining Mallesh’s contacts and associates to determine whether others were involved. Investigators reportedly found that he had shared information relating to the case with a childhood friend in Chennai. One of his batchmates was also questioned.As part of the probe, police conducted a reconstruction of the crime scene at the regiment to establish how Mallesh allegedly gained access to the kote and battalion magazine where the weapons and ammunition were stored.Investigators also travelled to Achampet and Nagarkurnool and conducted a passenger trial to verify the route and movements connected with the case and reconstruct the sequence of events after the alleged theft.
According to the original complaint, the loss was discovered on August 31 after broken locks were found at the storage facility.
The missing items included AK-203 rifles, an INSAS rifle, 9mm pistols, a civilian pistol, night-vision binoculars and ammunition.
Police are continuing efforts to recover the missing weapons and ammunition and establish whether others were involved in the theft.