FIR in 2012 Ludhiana incident: Decade on, police to go looking for missing bullets

A head constable had lost the 18 bullets from his service weapon but delay in forwarding the information had pushed the investigation back a decade

After a two-week delay in informing the department about losing 18 9-mm bullets and a service weapon pushed a police investigation 10 years back, the Dakha police finally registered an FIR against unidentified accused in the 2012 incident.

Police finally registered an FIR against unidentified accused in the 2012 incident where 18 bullets of a head constable’s service weapon went missing. (HT File)

Registered on December 3, the FIR pertains to the theft of 18 bullets lost by head constable Sushil Kumar after an accident that took place on December 5, 2012.

According to the FIR, head constable Sushil Kumar was deputed on a pilot vehicle with the Danish kabaddi team visiting Punjab for a tournament being organised by the Punjab government.

On December 5, 2012 his vehicle was hit by a tractor-trolley. The head constable suffered injuries and was rushed to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital for treatment. Dakha police on December 6 booked the tractor trolley driver Mohan Lal for causing hurt by negligence.

The head constable also lost the 18 bullets from his service weapon and informed the department about the same on December 20, 2012, following which, a survey committee was formed to trace the bullets. They, however, failed to do so and filed a report on April 13, 2013. The DGO office ordered an FIR in the case, but the case had been sent to the court before the arrival of the report. Police, this, failed to add the head constable’s supplementary statement in the FIR.

Dakha police lodged a fresh FIR against unidentified accused for stealing the bullets following the DGP’s orders.

Speaking about the latest developments, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Paramjit Singh, who is investigating the case, said an FIR under section 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code was registered.