INSAS rifle theft case: Crime scene recreation reveals conflicting accounts from accused and complainant

Mumbai Crime Branch reconstructs theft of INSAS rifle from naval base, probing links between accused brothers, complainant, and potential Naxal ties.

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Crime Branch on Friday conducted a detailed crime scene reconstruction in the New Navy Nagar area of Cuffe-Parade, as part of the investigation into the theft of an INSAS rifle from the naval installation. The two accused brothers — Rakesh Ramesh Dubulla, 22, and Umesh Ramesh Dubulla, 25 — were brought to the location, where police carried out a formal panchanama in the presence of Navy police teams.

INSAS rifle theft case: Crime scene recreation reveals conflicting accounts from accused and complainant

The case has raised serious national security concerns, as the accused managed to smuggle out an INSAS assault rifle along with three magazines containing around 40 live rounds by deceiving an agniveer (junior soldier), Alok Kaushal Kishore Singh, 20. Both Alok, the complainant, and Rakesh had worked together in Mumbai, although Alok was a batch junior to Rakesh. Authorities are probing the nature of their relationship, given evidence such as photographs showing them together and frequent interactions prior to the incident.

During the reconstruction exercise, the officers continued in-depth questioning of the accused and the complainant, whose statements remained inconsistent. Umesh, the accused, claimed the rifle was intended to establish dominance in their native region and for revenge against individuals who had threatened their family. “Umesh portrayed himself as a local ‘zero police’ alongside running an illegal hooch business, alleging they needed the weapon for personal vendetta,” said a senior police officer. Investigators, however, remain skeptical of these explanations.

The complainant Alok Singh’s version of events has come under scrutiny too. He initially told the investigators that an impersonator in naval uniform posed as a senior Quick Response Team (QRT) official and persuaded him to hand over the rifle and magazines during the Ganpati festival on September 6. The impersonator then allegedly tossed the weapon over the compound wall to Umesh waiting outside. However, contradictions emerged, especially concerning Alok’s claim that he left the post to retrieve a wristwatch, only to return and find the rifle missing.

After the theft, the accused traveled by cab to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and took a train to their hometown in Telangana. On September 9, they were arrested from their residence in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district, where the rifle and magazines were recovered.

Given the gravity of the case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have joined the probe. A senior officer from the Anti-Terrorism Squad pointed out that “while the accused claim varied motives, the inconsistencies in their narratives and the Naxal backdrop of the region raise multiple red flags.”

The Western Naval Command confirmed its full support for the investigation. The crime scene reconstruction notably failed to clarify the exact sequence of events but underscored the unreliability of the accused’s versions, prompting investigators to further scrutinise their relationship with the complainant and explore the smuggling angle more deeply.