Hyderabad: Police on Friday arrested a retired Army havildar in the Bollarum firearms theft case and recovered weapons and ammunition allegedly stolen from the 20 Battalion, Madras Regiment.
Bollarum Police identified the accused as Upputholla Mallesh, 37, a former havildar with the 20 Battalion, Madras Regiment. Police said he lived at Jangam Reddy Pally in Amrabad, Nagarkurnool district.
Mallesh had joined the Indian Army in 2010 and served for 16 years. He retired from service on June 30, 2026. Police preliminarily suspected that disgruntlement over his early retirement had motivated the theft. However, investigators continued their probe into the Bollarum firearms theft case.
According to police, Mallesh allegedly entered the 20 Battalion premises in Bollarum at about 11 pm on August 30. During the intervening night of August 30 and 31, he allegedly stole weapons from the Kote and Magazine rooms.
Bollarum firearms theft case involved rifles, pistols
Police said the stolen weapons included four AK-203 7.62x39mm rifles with five magazines. The missing equipment also included one 5.56mm INSAS 1B1 rifle with three magazines.
In addition, police reported the theft of six 9mm Auto 1A pistols with 12 magazines. One civilian 6.35 bore pistol with a magazine and one passive night vision binocular were also reported stolen.
The ammunition allegedly taken from the Magazine Room included 1,156 rounds for 9mm Auto 1A pistols. Police also reported that 720 rounds of AK-203 ammunition had gone missing. Furthermore, the stolen 5.56mm INSAS ammunition comprised 11 ball rounds and five tracer rounds. Another 20 blank rounds were also reported missing.
Following a complaint, Bollarum Police registered Crime No. 207/2026 under Sections 331(4) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Senior officers subsequently assigned the investigation to an officer of Assistant Commissioner of Police rank.
Accused arrested in Bollarum firearms theft case
Acting on credible information, Bollarum Police launched a joint operation with the Hyderabad Task Force and SOT Malkajgiri Commissionerate.
Police said the teams apprehended Mallesh at his residence. Investigators alleged that he had kept the stolen arms and ammunition at locations in Kowkoor, Yapral and Acchampet in Nagarkurnool district.
On Friday, Bollarum Police formally arrested Mallesh in connection with the Bollarum firearms theft case. Subsequently, police produced him for judicial remand under Sections 331(4) and 305 of the BNS. ACP Trimulgherry Division G. Ramesh and Bollarum Police participated in the operation along with the other specialised teams.
Telangana Police described the investigation as a major challenge. Moreover, the department attributed the arrest to coordination among the Malkajgiri Police Zone and Hyderabad City Police Task Force. The Telangana State Intelligence Department also participated in the coordinated effort that led to the arrest, according to the police statement.