Retired Armyman Arrested For Stealing Arms, Ammo From Armoury In Telangana, tell me about this news in (https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/retired-armyman-arrested-for-stealing-arms-ammo-from-armoury-in-telangana-12033607)
11-09-2026
A retired Indian Army Havaldar was arrested by police in Telangana following a security breach and weapon heist at a military installation.Key Details of the Case
- The Suspect: The accused was identified as 37-year-old Upputholla Mallesh (also known as Malesh alias Raju), a retired Havaldar who had recently left service.
- The Incident: Mallesh broke into the armoury of the 20 Madras Regiment located in Bolarum, within the Secunderabad Cantonment. The locks of the Kote, the Battalion Magazine, and several storage boxes were found broken.
- Stolen Hardware: The stolen cache included assault rifles (such as AK-203 and INSAS rifles), pistols, night-vision equipment, and thousands of rounds of matching ammunition.
- Transportation & Movement: Investigators found that the suspect moved the stolen cache using a two-wheeler and subsequently another vehicle, transporting the arms across districts to Nagar Kurnool.
- The Investigation & Recovery: Telangana Police analyzed around 850,000 mobile numbers and interrogated personnel with armoury access, including quick reaction teams and support staff. Through a joint effort involving Telangana Police, the Hyderabad Task Force, Special Operations Target (SOT) Malkajgiri, and Military Intelligence, the stolen arms and ammunition were recovered.
- Current Status: The accused has been sent to judicial custody while authorities continue to investigate the broader motive behind the breach and whether there was an intention to sell the stolen weapons.