A security issue has emerged in Medchal-Malkajgiri district of Telangana after unidentified persons broke open the lock of a weapons storage room at a highly secured defence facility and escaped with several firearms and ammunition.
The incident occurred at a Madras Regiment facility within the limits of Bollaram Police Station, police officials said. The stolen items include 11 weapons– four AK-203 rifles, six pistols and one INSAS rifle– along with ammunition.
Army personnel discovered the theft on Sunday night. The Army also approached the Bollaram Police and filed a formal complaint. Police registered a case yesterday and began a probe into the incident.
The incident has raised serious questions about security at the restricted defence facility, especially since the weapons were reportedly removed from a designated storage room. But investigators are trying to determine when the weapons went missing, how the storage area was accessed and who might have been responsible.
The facility is located in a restricted defence area, so officials are also keeping several operational and security details secret. Police officials are not providing specific details about the security arrangements and how that facility is secured, the access to it or the location of the storage room on the site.
The investigation is being conducted by Bollaram Police, with Army officials expected to be involved in the investigation as they determine the sequence of events. The investigators might comb through available evidence to find out why the storage room was allegedly breached.
The recovery of the missing weapons and ammunition will be a priority for law enforcement authorities. The nature of the weapons stolen is particularly serious, and the police and defence authorities will be closely involved, the report said.
The AK-203 is an assault rifle used by Indian security forces, while the INSAS rifle has been part of the country's military inventory since its introduction. The reported theft of such weapons from a secure defence establishment is of particular concern to the investigation.
So far, police have been cautious in their statements given the location. That means there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the theft, the exact time of the theft, the identities of the people involved, and whether the suspects had prior knowledge of the facility.
Police officials are still investigating and will look at all the leads available. The focus will be not only on finding out what happened but how the weapons and ammunition went missing and who did this.
The incident is a huge security risk for Medchal-Malkajgiri because it’s a military facility and a huge number of firearms. There will be more details to come as investigators continue their work.
At present, police have confirmed the registration of a case after the complaint from Army officials. The Bollaram Police are continuing their investigation, while details of the restricted defence facility remain confidential.
