Ex-havildar used mobile torch to his advantage in arms heist | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Though ex-havildar U Mallesh took precautions by keeping his phone in aeroplane mode at the time of the heist at the armoury of the highly secure Madras Regiment in Bolarum, he used the same device to his advantage by using its torch feature. And it was with the mobile phone’s torch that the 37-year-old former Army man navigated the undergrowth around the armoury in the dark and identified specific weapons and ammunition.During the night, the lower-rung staff of Madras Regiment, as a practice, used to switch off the power mains, which led to the disconnection of CCTVs and other services and engulfed the entire area in darkness.“The area is usually pitch dark at night. Fully aware about it,he carried a mobile phone only to use it as a light source. During questioning, when Mallesh was asked whether ‘he didn’t fear while committing the offence’, the accused reportedly stated that since he was drunk he garnered enough courage to steal the weapons,” an investigation officer told STOI.At any given time, two guards would be on sentry duty. While one would be on static duty, the other would do rounds around the armoury. Police claimed that it took nearly one and a half hours to commit the theft inside the ammunition room. To avoid coming in the line of sight of the guard on patrol, Mallesh hid in the bushes and navigated the terrain.The case would have been cracked much earlier than the 11 days taken by investigators had Mallesh given in to Counter Intelligence sleuths’ questioning. While zeroing in on people who had access to the armoury, both serving and retired personnel,CI Cell personnel reached out to Mallesh too in Nagarkurnool. He was questioned and his phone was also verified. Based on the information given by Mallesh, police did not get any suspicion and returned, asking him to be available, if needed.In a joint operation, Telangana police and a team of officers from the Southern Command’s liaison unit of Military Intelligence (MI) cracked the high-profile case in less than two weeks. MI officers from different locations worked with Telangana police, helping investigators piece together crucial leads and eventually cracking the case.Task Force sleuths, on the other hand, started suspecting the role of Mallesh. It is learnt that Hyderabad police brass formed a team along with their counterparts in Nagarkurnool and kept surveillance on Mallesh. After finding his movements suspicious, Task Force police wanted to question him. However, he started avoiding them and stopped visiting Hyderabad to meet the investigators.As he was non-cooperative, police started to put pressure on his family members, who were called and questioned. Finally, Mallesh yielded after his family members confronted him and reportedly confessed that he stole the weapons. Later, he was taken before police and he disclosed how the offence was committed and showed the place where the weapons were hidden near his residence at Jangamreddy Pally in Nagarkurnool district.Box-At the time of remanding Mallesh in judicial custody on Friday, Bolarum police altered the case by adding sections under the Arms Act in addition to the charge of theft registered at the time of filing the FIR. Mallesh was sent to judicial remand after police produced him before a local magistrate.