Secunderabad army arms theft: Ex-soldier to face seven-day police custody

A native of Nagarkurnool district, Mallesh joined the Indian Army in 2010 and served for 16 years before retiring on June 30, 2026, on grounds of indiscipline and poor health.

A court in Telangana’s Secunderabad has remanded former Army non-commissioned officer (NCO) Upputholla Mallesh to seven days of police custody in connection with the theft of firearms and ammunition from the armoury of the 20 Battalion, Madras Regiment, in Bolarum.

Police are expected to take Mallesh into custody on Monday for further questioning in the sensational case, sources said on Sunday.

Investigators will question him based on information he provided during preliminary interrogation following his arrest.

Mallesh, 37, allegedly carried out the theft on the intervening night of August 30 and 31. Telangana Police announced his arrest on September 11, after which he was sent to 14 days of judicial custody and lodged at Chanchalguda Central Prison.

During the seven-day police custody, investigators are expected to establish whether Mallesh acted alone or received assistance from anyone.

They are also likely to ask whether he handed the stolen weapons to anyone else for concealment.

Telangana Police will share details emerging from the interrogation with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Army authorities for further investigation, sources said.

Telangana Director General of Police C. V. Anand had said at a press conference on Friday that, prima facie, Mallesh appeared to have acted alone. However, he said the investigation was continuing to ascertain whether anyone else was involved in the offence.

The DGP also said the entire cache of arms and ammunition stolen from the Kote & Magazine of the 20 Battalion, Madras Regiment, had been recovered.

Mallesh was arrested in a joint operation by Bollarum Police, Hyderabad Task Force and the SOT Malkajgiri Commissionerate.

According to the DGP, the preliminary motive behind the theft appeared to be Mallesh’s disgruntlement over his early retirement from service.

A native of Nagarkurnool district, Mallesh joined the Indian Army in 2010 and served for 16 years before retiring on June 30, 2026, on grounds of indiscipline and poor health.

After a detailed investigation, police zeroed in on Mallesh, a native of Jangareddypalle village in Nagarkurnool district who was living with his family in Balajinagar in Secunderabad Cantonment.

Police found his movements from August 27 and on the day of the offence suspicious and inconsistent with his statements.

Investigators found that Mallesh had visited the area on August 27, 28 and 29 to conduct a recce of the arms depository. On the night of August 30, he allegedly broke the lock of the arms and ammunition stores and carried the stolen cache on his motorcycle. He later transported the weapons and ammunition in his car to Nagarkurnool district, where he allegedly hid them near his house.

The recovered cache included four AK-203 assault rifles with five magazines, one INSAS rifle with three magazines, six 9 mm pistols with 12 magazines, one civilian 6.35-bore pistol with a magazine and one passive night-vision binocular.

It also included 1,156 rounds of 9 mm pistol ammunition, 720 rounds of AK-203 ammunition, 11 ball rounds, five tracer rounds and 20 blank rounds of 5.56 mm INSAS ammunition.

(with IANS inputs)

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