Theft from Madras Regiment armoury triggers excessive alert, on-line lessons suggested for cantonment colleges

A theft of service weapons and ammunition from an Military institution in Secunderabad has put the cantonment space on excessive alert, with colleges suggested to conduct lessons on-line and defence organisations issuing alerts asking personnel to stay vigilant.

As per the FIR, 12 firearms, together with 4 AK-203 assault rifles, an INSAS rifle, six 9 mm pistols and a civilian 6.35-bore pistol, had been reported lacking from the 20 Madras Regiment premises at Bollarum. A passive night-vision binocular, 21 magazines and greater than 1,800 rounds of ammunition had been additionally discovered lacking.

The reported theft has triggered heightened safety measures within the cantonment space. Defence organisations have despatched alerts asking personnel to stay vigilant, whereas colleges situated contained in the cantonment have been suggested to take lessons on-line as a precautionary measure.

The theft got here to mild at about 7.50 a.m. on Monday (August 31, 2026), when Military personnel opened the Kote and Battalion Journal, the place weapons and ammunition had been saved. They discovered the locks of the premises and the containers containing the weapons, management shops and ammunition forcibly damaged.

The FIR states that the weapons and ammunition had final been bodily accounted for at about 6 p.m. on August 30, earlier than the Kote and Battalion Journal had been closed. The precise time and circumstances by which the weapons and ammunition disappeared should not recognized.

The lacking service weapons embrace 4 7.62 x 39 mm AK-203 assault rifles, together with 5 magazines. One 5.56 mm INSAS 1B1 rifle, together with three magazines, was additionally reported as lacking.

Six 9 mm Auto 1A pistols had been stolen together with 12 magazines. A civilian 6.35-bore pistol, together with one journal, was additionally lacking. A passive night-vision binocular was among the many different objects reported stolen.

The lacking ammunition consists of 720 rounds meant for the AK-203 rifles and 1,120 rounds meant for the 9 mm pistols, although the FIR states that the amount of the latter was nonetheless being ascertained. It additionally consists of 11 rounds of 5.56 mm INSAS ball ammunition, 5 tracer rounds and 20 clean rounds. The entire worth of the stolen property has been estimated at about ₹15 lakh.

The Military sought pressing police motion to hint and get well the weapons and ammunition and establish these accountable.

Personnel questioned

Instantly after the discrepancy was detected, the unit authorities re-verified the entire weapon and ammunition holdings and accounting data. They searched the authorised storage areas and adjoining premises, checked subject and receipt registers and recognized and questioned personnel who had authorised entry to the storage and custody areas.

Detailed inside inquiry

The world involved was secured and sealed wherever essential, whereas senior authorities and the chain of command had been knowledgeable. The Military has additionally initiated an in depth inside inquiry to determine the circumstances resulting in the loss.

The FIR data the priority that the lacking service weapons and ammunition may very well be unauthorisedly possessed, moved or misused. Police are consequently analyzing how the suspects gained entry to the extremely secured premises, broke open the locks and accessed the storage areas.

The potential of involvement of somebody having authorised entry can be being examined, although there is no such thing as a conclusion at this stage. Police are checking the safety preparations and actions of personnel and are additionally anticipated to look at CCTV footage and different accessible data as a part of the investigation.

The Bollarum police registered a case beneath Sections 331(4) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and handed over the investigation to the detective inspector for additional investigation. The Malkajgiri police mentioned an official assertion on the incident could be launched by the night.

The restoration of the weapons and ammunition is now a precedence for the police and Military, given the potential of their unauthorised possession or misuse.