SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Hyderabad: With no breakthrough in the firearm theft case from the Madras Regiment armoury in Bollaram, investigators have shifted the lens on the officers responsible for supervising the facility’s security, media reports said on Tuesday, September 8.
Since questioning of guards failed to yield any results, investigators are looking at senior personnel, including the unit commander
a Major-rank Army officer, said the Times of India.
According to the newspaper, sources said the officer who was responsible for securing the armoury is being questioned as part of the multi-agency investigation. “There are always two guards on rotational shift duty at the armoury, comprising KOTE (keeper of technical equipment), where firearms are stored, and the battalion magazine, where ammunition is stored. Their immediate boss is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) of Havildar rank. The supervisory officer, who is the commander of the team, is a Major,” the report quoted an investigator as saying.
The Major was stationed at the Madras Regiment in Bollaram when the burglary was reported to the police by a Lieutenant Colonel-rank officer on August 31.
Joint investigation hasn’t yielded results yet
The investigation has led to the questioning of 10-15 personnel on guard duties. It has been jointly conducted by the Madras Regiment, Military Intelligence, State Intelligence, and Malkajgiri police.
“We are unable to get any breakthroughs. We are now questioning the officers supervising the guards, including NCOs, junior commissioned officers and the Major, since the burglary of this nature is not possible without anyone from the unit knowing about it,” a senior police officer told the newspaper.
The move was also prompted by several security lapses uncovered during the probe. Among the issues that have drawn attention is the discovery of an empty INSAS rifle magazine during an inspection. A Malkajgiri police official said the magazine had not been reported stolen, but armoury records did not indicate who it had been issued to. The lapse therefore also points to poor record-keeping at the armoury.
SOURCE : SIASAT
