Secunderabad: A stunning incident has come to light in which 11 sophisticated weapons, including four AK-47 rifles, six pistols and an INSAS rifle, were stolen from a high-security area inside the Secunderabad Cantonment in Telangana.
The Army and police are now probing a suspected insider role, according to a report by The Indian Express.
The theft is believed to have taken place on Sunday night at a room within the Madras Regiment premises. The area is classified as highly secure and is primarily accessed by Army personnel and a limited number of civilian employees associated with outsourced units.
The unidentified suspects gained entry into the facility, broke open the lock and forced open the door before taking the weapons, as per the police complaint. The exact manner in which the firearms were removed from the secured premises remains under investigation.
Army personnel noticed that several sophisticated weapons were missing and the area was subsequently sealed off by officials as investigators began examining how the breach occurred, according to The Times Of India.
An FIR was registered at the Bollaram police station on Monday following a complaint from Army personnel. Senior officers from the Malkajgiri Police Commissionerate are also involved in the investigation.
CCTV footage from the premises is being examined by Army and police officers, and they are questioning guards and other individuals who had access to the storage area in recent days.
“We have started the investigation with the full cooperation of the Army regiment,” a senior police official said.
A probe is also underway into the possibility of an insider’s involvement. The area is normally guarded by armed personnel who work in shifts, but sources said the theft may have occurred at a time when only a few guards were present.
“Initial investigation point out the role of some insider. Questioning of various persons associated with this wing is being done,” officials said.
Security guards and personnel associated with the unit are also being questioned by the Army to establish whether anyone facilitated access to the weapons storage area.
The police said they were keeping details of the investigation under wraps as teams worked to identify those responsible and trace the missing weapons.
