Assault Rifles, Pistols Stolen From Madras Regiment

A multi-agency investigation is underway into the theft of assault rifles, pistols, magazines, and other firearms from the Madras Regiment premises in Secunderabad Cantonment. Telangana Police is probing possible insider involvement while the Army is conducting a parallel internal inquiry.

The theft was reported on Monday morning, at around 7:50 am, when Army personnel opened the Kote and Battalion Magazine, the secured area where weapons and ammunition were stored, and found the locks broken.

According to a police complaint filled by Lieutenant Colonel Mayank Govitirkar of the Madras Regiment's 20th Battalion, the missing weapons include:

• Four 7.62x39 mm AK-203 assault rifles,
• One 5.56 mm INSAS 1B1 rifle,
• Six 9 mm Auto 1A pistols,
• One 6.35-bore civilian pistol,
• Twenty one magazines,
• Passive night-vision binocular,
• More than 1,912 rounds of ammunition.

According to the complaint, the weapons and ammunition had last been physically accounted for at about 6 pm on August 30.

The Army's complaint specifically notes the possibility of unauthorised possession, movement or misuse of the missing articles following which police registered a case under Sections 331(4) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to house-breaking and theft from a protected place/building used for custody of property.

After the loss was detected, Army authorities re-verified weapon and ammunition holdings, checked accounting documents and issue-and-receipt registers, searched authorised storage areas and adjoining premises, and identified personnel who had authorised access to the storage and custody areas for questioning. The affected area was secured and, where necessary, sealed, said a source.

While police has launched investigations as the matter remains highly sensitive and of national security, military intelligence, other central agencies, senior police officials of Telangana police and Telangana counter intelligence are also assisting the probe.

No breakthrough has been achieved in the case yet, a source told NDTV.

Insider Role Under Probe

One of the central questions for investigators is how an offender or offenders could enter a highly restricted military facility, reach the weapons storage area, break open the relevant locks and subsequently remove the firearms and ammunition.

Police and Army investigators are therefore examining personnel movements, duty rosters, access records and CCTV footage.

Sources said the possibility of an insider role is being examined because access to the weapons storage area is restricted.

Perimeter and access points around the Bolarum establishment are also under probe, along with CCTV footage from the military premises and nearby civilian cameras.

A theory that the weapons could have been moved and thrown over a wall or removed through any particular gate is also being investigated.

Investigators are examining duty records and personnel movements to determine whether the deployment pattern had any bearing on the security breach.

Meanwhile, security measures have reportedly been tightened across the Bolarum and Secunderabad Cantonment area following the theft.

Civilian access through portions of the military establishment has also been restricted as investigators secure the area.