Hyderabad: Bollarum police on Saturday arrested seven more accused, including three serving Army personnel, in connection with the theft of firearms from the Madras Regiment. Investigators said the prime accused, former havildar U Mallesh, had meticulously planned the offence and intended to sell the stolen weapons through contacts in West Bengal while also using them to carry out robberies and extortion.The arrests follow Mallesh’s 10-day police custody, during which he allegedly disclosed details of the conspiracy involving K Sheshulu (36), a sepoy posted at the Madras Regiment; Vinod Kumar (34), a naik in charge of the regiment’s armoury (Kote); K Praveen (37), a havildar with the regiment’s 16th battalion in Tamil Nadu; Birbal Shaw (27), a juice vendor; Avi Dey (32), an alleged illegal firearms supplier from Barrackpore in West Bengal; U Mallikarjun (39), a mason and Mallesh’s cousin; and Ch Niranjan (39), a grocery shop owner from Nagarkurnool district.According to Malkajgiri police commissioner B Sumathi, Mallesh was pensioned out of Army service in June after 16 years due to knee ailment and disciplinary issues, though he wanted to continue for three more years. Investigators believe he harboured resentment against senior officers following his premature retirement.“Mallesh got Rs 22 lakh after retirement. But the amount was not sufficient for his financial needs as he had recently built a house and purchased a plot in Nagarkurnool district. He also purchased a car. Mallesh was involved in two burglaries before joining the Army and in one offence, he stole Rs 2 lakh worth of valuables. His mindset has not changed even after joining the Army, and after the early retirement against his wishes, Mallesh decided to steal firearms to sell for profit and use them to commit bank or jewellery shop robberies. He also planned to extort businessmen and politicians,” the commissioner said.She said Mallesh offered the other accused a share in the weapons’ sale. She added that Mallesh’s criminal background may not have surfaced during recruitment verification as he allegedly used the name Raju.Sumathi said that Seshulu followed some Pakistan-linked social media handles, while Birbal has suspicious contacts. “We are verifying all the details but as of now, no terror-related angle has come to light during the interrogation,” she said.Police said Mallesh first befriended Sheshulu by helping him find accommodation near his residence in Hyderabad. Through Sheshulu, he came in contact with Vinod. He also discussed the plan with his colleague and friend Praveen, who had earlier paid him Rs 15,000 to procure a country-made weapon from Avi Dey.“Mallesh revealed his plans to Vinod, Seshulu and Praveen in July. Vinod told him about the weapons in the Kote and security setup. Mallesh visited the Kote a few times between Aug 24 and 29 for recce. Mallesh also identified routes to leave the military area without getting captured by CCTV cameras. And he was also aware that CCTV cameras were turned off near the Kote at night,“ the commissioner said.Investigators said Mallesh spent time at Sheshulu’s house before entering the Madras Regiment premises on the night of Aug 30 and carrying out the theft. After executing the plan, he allegedly informed the co-accused through WhatsApp calls and messages, including a message to Praveen stating, “kaam hogaya.” Vinod reportedly visited the regiment on Aug 31 before the theft came to light.“None of the co-accused had directly participated in the theft but they were aware of the conspiracy. They facilitated the offence and deliberately concealed their knowledge about it,“ Sumathi said.After the theft, Mallesh allegedly took help from Mallikarjun to conceal the weapons at his father’s house. He then contacted Birbal and Avi Dey, who were tasked with identifying buyers. Police said assault rifles were to be sold for Rs 5 lakh each and pistols for Rs 2 lakh each.“In 2022, when Mallesh was posted at Barrackpore, he met Birbal, who runs a sugarcane juice stall at the Cantonment. Birbal introduced him to Avi Dey. Through them, Mallesh bought the country-made pistol and ammunition for Rs 10,000. Mallesh claimed to have used that weapon to commit some robberies but police complaints have not been received. He hid the weapon at his father’s house in Achampet and we recovered it during his recent police custody,” the commissioner said.Police also said Avi Dey is an accused in an Arms Act case registered in West Bengal in 2012 and is currently facing trial.Based on Mallesh’s confession, police arrested Sheshulu, Vinod, Praveen, Birbal, Avi Dey, Mallikarjun and Niranjan on Saturday. All the accused were produced before a court and sent to Chanchalguda prison for judicial remand.
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