The stolen Army weapons that were recovered from retired havildar
HYDERABAD: A retired havildar who had been fired from his post-retirement job in June by the Army for indiscipline, single-handedly stole 12 military grade weapons and ammunition from the Madras Regiment armoury at Bollarum on Aug 30 night. Senior police officers said on Friday that the ex-serviceman, 37-year-old Upputholla Mallesh, who was upset with his superiors after being fired, is believed to have stolen the weapons, including five assault rifles and seven pistols, as a form of revenge. Speaking to reporters, DGP C V Anand said Mallesh had been arrested and the weapons recovered from an open field in Nagarkurnool district from under stacks of hay, about 185 km from Bollarum.
Officers said he carried the guns out of the heavily guarded cantonment on his Activa scooter. However, investigators said the real motive still needs to be probed. Investigators said the case was cracked after Mallesh’s wife and father-in-law were questioned by the investigators.
Mallesh also helped the police recover the weapons.
The wife later confronted the accused about the theft and forced him to surrender before the authorities. TOI was the first to report on Friday morning that the case had been solved and the weapons recovered.