Mumbai:
Barely an hour before US President Barack Obama arrived in Mumbai earlier this month, the city police went into a tizzy, as a packet containing 100 bullets went missing from a combat vehicle posted outside the US consulate near Mani Bhavan. Obama was to visit the venue later that day.
According to police sources, on November 6, an official from the Quick Response Team (QRT) posted near the US consulate at Gamdevi reportedly misplaced the packet kept in the Mahindra Marksman combat vehicle. "The packet contained 30 bullets for .9mm pistols, while the rest were for MP5 guns," confirmed a senior police official.
Senior police officials were informed about this. Around 10am, a wireless message was passed around South Mumbai, asking the police to launch a manhunt. "It was a serious thing, as MP5 bullets can be lethal. Since the US president was in the city, we did not want to take any chances," said the officer.
He added that the incident was worrisome as Obama was scheduled to visit Mani Bhavan. "After a comprehensive search, the packet was found within the Gamdevi jurisdiction," said the source.
However, no formal complaint was registered. "We made further inquiries to find out if the packet was stolen or was misplaced. After completing the inquiries, it was clear that the packet was misplaced," a senior police official said.
Police officials remained tight-lipped about who the culprit was and if any action was initiated against the concerned policeman. The source added that all the police officers involved in Obama's security were asked to remain alert and ensure such incidents were not repeated. "Had the incident occurred during Obama's presence in the city, it would have been a much more terrible situation," the source said.
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