Retired havildar, seven others held in Bollarum Army arms theft case
HYDERABAD: Malkajgiri police have arrested seven more people in connection with the theft of firearms and ammunition from the Kote and Magazine rooms of the 20 Battalion, Madras Regiment, at Bollarum, taking the total number of accused arrested in the case to eight.
The arrests followed the questioning of retired Army havildar Upputholla Mallesh, 37, who was arrested on September 11 in connection with the theft. Police said the investigation revealed that he allegedly planned the theft with former colleagues and others to obtain firearms for use in robberies.
Police said the accused had stolen four AK-203 rifles, one INSAS rifle, seven pistols, three binoculars and 1,912 rounds of ammunition from the Army unit. The recovered weapons included magazines for the rifles and pistols.
Accused allegedly planned robberies using stolen Army firearms
According to police, Mallesh hatched a plan with his cousin Upputholla Mallikarjun, 39, of Udimilla village in Padara mandal, and his friend Chemmakar Niranjan, 39, of Padara, who were facing financial difficulties.
The three allegedly planned to commit robberies at banks, jewellery shops and against wealthy people. Police said they intended to use firearms during the robberies and sell or otherwise deal in the stolen ammunition.
During the investigation, Mallesh allegedly contacted Avi Dey alias Obi and Birbal Shaw of West Bengal. Police said the two had previously supplied him with a country-made firearm, known as a tapancha, in 2022.
Police said Obi agreed to buy stolen Army firearms, offering about ₹3 lakh for a pistol and ₹5 lakh for a long weapon, besides payment for ammunition.
Mallesh then allegedly contacted his former colleagues Sheshulu, Vinod Kumar and Praveen, who were serving with the Madras Regiment. Police said they assisted him in breaking open the locks of the Kote and Magazine rooms and removing the firearms and ammunition.
Police say earlier firearm purchase was recovered from Achampet
During interrogation, Mallesh allegedly told police that he had bought a country-made firearm and a live round from Obi in 2022 while his battalion was posted at Barrackpore, West Bengal.
Police said Mallesh had been introduced to Birbal Shaw, who ran a sugarcane juice centre near his Army unit. Through Shaw, he allegedly purchased the firearm from Obi for ₹10,000.
The police said Mallesh kept the firearm at his father’s house in Sai Nagar Colony, Achampet. Malkajgiri police recovered it during a seizure on September 23.
Police also said Obi had earlier been involved in Crime No. 572/2012 under the Arms Act at Khardah police station in West Bengal. The case is pending before the II Judicial Magistrate Court, Barrackpore, according to the police.
Mallesh has two earlier house burglary cases registered against him, police said. They are Crime No. 13/2005 under Sections 457 and 380 of the Indian Penal Code at Achampet police station and Crime No. 95/2007 under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC at Amrabad police station.
The stolen property recovered in the case includes 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 ammunition, 720 AK-203 rounds and 36 INSAS rounds. Police also seized five mobile phones.
Police said Mallesh was arrested on September 11 and remanded in judicial custody. The court later granted 10 days of police custody from September 22 to October 1.
The other accused arrested in the case are Konduri Sheshulu, 36; Vinod Kumar, 34; Kucharakanti Praveen, 37; Avi Dey alias Obi, 32; Birbal Shaw, 27; Upputholla Mallikarjun, 39; and Chemmakar Niranjan, 39.
Police said A2 to A8 were being produced before the court for judicial remand on October 3.
The case was registered as Crime No. 207/2026 at Bollarum police station under Sections 331(4), 305, 249, 317(5), 61(2) and 49 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 25(1AA), 25(1)(A) and 25(1)(B) of the Arms Act, 1959.
Malkajgiri police said the accused allegedly committed the offence with the intention of carrying out property-related offences. Police said they had found no terrorist or extremist links in the case.
