Armoury heist: How ex-Havildar’s grudge over termination led to weapon theft using motorcycle | Hyderabad News
HYDERABAD: After suspecting various angles — including espionage, narcotics and the possibility of weapons reaching an enemy country — Telangana Police found that a dismissed military havildar had stolen 12 weapons, including assault rifles, and ammunition using a motorcycle. His resentment over being terminated from service is suspected to be the motive behind the offence.Confirming what TOI had reported in its columns that an accused had been arrested and the weapons recovered on Friday, Director General of Police CV Anand said at a press conference that 37-year-old Upputholla Mallesh was arrested and, based on his confession, the weapons were recovered from an open area in Sripuram village in Nagarkurnool district, where dry hay had been used to cover and hide them.Mallesh, who had previously served with the 20th Battalion of the Madras Regiment, was terminated from service on June 30 on grounds of indiscipline and ill health. As part of his alleged plan to steal the weapons, Mallesh, a resident of Balaji Nagar near the Madras Regiment, visited the armoury on August 28 and 29 to conduct a recce.Having prior knowledge of the topography and the functioning of the armoury, Mallesh set out on a motorcycle at 11pm on August 30 to reach the cantonment.“Since the guards on duty had no direct vision of the armoury rooms, Mallesh breached the doors. First, he moved the weapons out and kept them at a nearby location which was dark. Later, he went to the room where there was ammunition and brought it to the same location. It was on the same bike that he carried the weapons and ammunition and managed to come out of the cantonment,” Anand said.He travelled about two kilometres on the motorcycle to a temple, where he abandoned the weapons and ammunition. He then went to his house and returned to the temple in his car to load the weapons. CCTV footage showed him doing so at 4.34am.He then drove to his native place, Jangam Reddy Pally, in Nagarkurnool district. He used the Outer Ring Road via Bonguluru and avoided the Srisailam road because of the check posts.“To create evidence to disguise the police, Mallesh, en route, made a total of six passengers board his car and collected money to give the impression that he was operating a taxi service. After reaching his native place, near his house there is an open area, where he spread the stolen property and covered it with grass at 1.15pm on August 31,” the DGP said.Mallesh confessed that on September 6, he moved the weapons to Padara village and kept them at a house.“Again on September 8, he brought back the weaponry to the same position near his house. What made him move it out and then bring it back could not be ascertained due to want of time,” police said.Meanwhile, Hyderabad’s Task Force police, along with the Counter-Intelligence Cell, analysed the profiles of 16 Army personnel who were on duty at the time of the offence, seven Quick Response Team (QRT) personnel, seven outsourcing staff members, 34 people who had previously been punished, 54 people who were on leave and seven personnel who had retired.“We had suspicion on the movements of two retired personnel, which included Mallesh. We kept a watch on his movements for a few days. He was contacted and asked to come to the Task Force office on September 7 and 8. However, he evaded appearing, and this further strengthened our suspicion of him. Police contacted his wife and father-in-law to explain the seriousness of the case,” officials said.Mallesh’s wife forced him to travel to Hyderabad and confronted him about his absence for a few days. He eventually confessed to her that he had committed the offence. Mallesh’s family then contacted local police, who confirmed the Task Force police’s suspicion. Based on his confession, the weapons were recovered.
Source link
