The Telangana police on Saturday announced seven fresh arrests, including of three serving army personnel, in connection with the theft of firearms and ammunition from the Army’s 20 Battalion of Madras Regiment, at Bollaram in Secunderabad Cantonment in the early hours of August 30.
“The investigation has revealed that there are no terrorist or extremist links to the accused. Based on a complaint by commanding officer Lt Col Mayank Govitirkar, the police launched an investigation. The stolen weapons and ammunition were found at Mallesh’s father’s residence in Sai Nagar Colony, Achampet. He was subsequently produced before court and remanded in judicial custody.
Speaking to reporters, Malkajgiri police commissioner B Sumathi identified those in custody as 36-year-old sepoy Konduri Sheshulu , 34-year-old jawan Vinod Kumar, both from Andhra Pradesh’s Markapuram district 37-year-old havildar Kucharakanthi Praveen from Gundlapottapalli, 32-year-old West Bengal resident Avi Dey, 27-year-old Birbal Shaw, who ran a sugarcane juice centre near Barrackpore Cantonment in West Bengal, 39-year-old mason Upputholla Mallikarjun and 39-year-old shop owner Chemmakar Niranjan, both from Padara in Nagarkurnool district. The prime accused and alleged mastermind of the theft Upputholla Mallesh alias Raju (37), a retired havildar of the battalion from Nagarkurnool district, was arrested on September 11. The case came to light on August 31, when army personnel posted at the 20 Battalion, Madras Regiment in Bollaram, found that the locks of the Kote (arms store) and Magazine had been broken. The stolen weapons, which were recovered after Mallesh’s arrest, included: Four AK-203 rifles, with five magazines, one INSAS rifle, with three magazines, six 9 mm pistols, with 12 magazines, one 6.35-bore civilian pistol, with a magazine, three binoculars, 1,156 rounds of 9 mm pistol ammunition, 720 rounds of AK-203 ammunition and 36 INSAS rounds. Police later obtained custody of Mallesh for 10 days, from September 22 to October 1, for further interrogation.
“All these seven accused were produced before the local court, which sent them to 14-day judicial remand,” the police commissioner said. Sumathi said the accused allegedly planned to use the stolen weapons to carry out robberies targeting banks, jewellery shops and wealthy individuals. They had stolen the weapons with the intention of committing major property offences,” she said. It was during this period that investigators allegedly uncovered the larger conspiracy behind the theft, the police commissioner said.
The investigation further revealed that Mallesh allegedly approached two persons in West Bengal — Avi Dey and Birbal Shaw — with whom he had previous contact. With their help, he allegedly broke open the locks of the Kote and Magazine and remove the firearms and ammunition. “The firearm was allegedly kept concealed on the first floor of his father’s house at Sai Nagar Colony, Achampet.
“In 2022, Mallesh was posted at Barrackpore, Kolkata, where he became acquainted with Birbal Shaw, who operated a sugarcane juice centre near the Army unit. Through Shaw, he allegedly came into contact with Avi Dey alias Obi and purchased a country-made firearm (tapancha) and one live round for ₹ 10,000,” she said. Police recovered it during a seizure on September 23,” she said. Dey was also previously involved in an Arms Act case registered at Khardah Police Station in West Bengal under Section 25(1)(B)(a) of the Arms Act.
Mallesh allegedly hatched a plan with his cousin Upputholla Mallikarjun and friend Chemmakar Niranjan, who were reportedly facing financial difficulties, according to the police investigation. “The trio allegedly planned to commit robberies targeting banks, jewellery shops and wealthy individuals and intended to use firearms during the crimes to make substantial amounts of money,” she said. “Obi agreed to purchase stolen army firearms, allegedly offering ₹ 3 lakh for each pistol and ₹ 5 lakh for each long weapon, besides agreeing to pay for the ammunition,” Sumathi said. She said Mallesh allegedly enlisted the assistance of three of his former colleagues from the Madras Regiment—Sheshulu, Vinod Kumar and Praveen. Sumathi said the investigation also uncovered an earlier link between Mallesh and the West Bengal-based accused. The police suspected that the weapon was allegedly intended for use in extorting money from local residents, passers-by and unidentified persons, although police said it was not used in any offence. The case is pending before the Second Judicial Magistrate Court, Barrackpore, Sumathi said.
