Hyderabad:
In a shocking security breach at a military facility, a retired Army Havaldar allegedly broke into the armoury of the 20 Madras Regiment in Bolarum, in Telangana's Secunderabad Cantonment, making off with a massive cache of weapons and matching ammunition.
The suspect, identified as 37-year-old Upputholla Mallesh (also known as Malesh alias Raju), had recently taken retirement or left service. Police noted that his movements near the crime scene did not match his statements. Investigators suspect a severe insider's role, pointing out that the accused utilised a two-wheeler and later a vehicle to transport the stolen arms across districts to Nagar Kurnool.
Unveiling the scale of the investigation, Telangana DGP C.V. Anand revealed that police teams analysed around 8.5 lakh mobile numbers and thoroughly interrogated personnel who had access to the armoury, including quick reaction team (QRT) staff and outsourced teams.
The brazen theft came to light when the Kote and Battalion Magazine locks and storage boxes were found broken. The stolen military hardware included high-grade weapons such as AK-203 assault rifles, INSAS rifles, pistols, night-vision equipment, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Following intensive multi-agency coordination between the Telangana Police, Hyderabad Task Force, SOT Malkajgiri, and Military Intelligence, the stolen weapons and ammunition were successfully recovered. The accused has been remanded to judicial custody, while authorities continue to probe the exact motive behind the high-security breach.