Court grants 10-day custody of Bolarum arms theft accused; questioning begins Tuesday

A Secunderabad court has remanded retired Army Havaldar U. Mallesh to 10 days of police custody in connection with the theft of firearms and ammunition from the 20 Battalion, Madras Regiment, in Bolarum. His questioning is set to begin on Tuesday, September 22.

Investigators intend to probe the circumstances of the theft, the motive behind it and whether others were involved. The main accused has maintained that he acted alone, even as officers keep open the possibility of a wider conspiracy.

According to an officer from the Bolarum police station, multiple agencies associated with the investigation may also question Mallesh during the custody period. While the Malkajgiri police will conduct the initial questioning at the Bolarum police station, the National Investigation Agency could take him to its Hyderabad headquarters for separate interrogation.

How the questioning unfolds may depend on his medical condition. Jail officials at Chanchalguda prison said Mallesh was still running a fever when examined on Monday evening. Authorities have been advised to factor in his health during custody and to keep a medical officer present during questioning.

Mallesh had earlier been moved from Chanchalguda jail to a hospital after routine tests following his remand revealed liver and kidney complications.

The case relates to the theft of 12 firearms and more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition from the Bolarum premises on the night of August 30. The stolen cache included four AK-203 assault rifles, an INSAS 1B1 rifle, six 9 mm Auto 1A pistols and a 6.35-bore pistol.

Police allege that Mallesh entered the premises around 11 p.m., broke open the Kote and removed the firearms, then spent about an hour breaking open the ammunition chamber to take matching rounds. He was arrested on September 11 after the stolen weapons and ammunition were recovered from multiple locations.