INSAS rifle theft: Police suspect brothers planned to sell weapon to Naxalites

The two brothers were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday in Asifabad in Telangana, near the state’s border with Maharashtra

MUMBAI: The Mumbai police’s crime branch suspects that the two brothers arrested for stealing an INSAS (Indian New Small Arms System) rifle from a newly recruited Agniveer posted in New Navy Nagar planned to sell the weapon to Naxalites, according to officers aware of the developments.

INSAS rifle theft: Police suspect brothers planned to sell weapon to Naxalites

The two brothers were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday in Asifabad in Telangana, near the state’s border with Maharashtra. The police found the rifle and three magazines containing around 40 rounds in their possession, officers said.

“The two were identified as Rakesh Ramesh Dubulla, 22, and his elder brother Umesh Ramesh Dubulla, 25,” said a police officer. “We are questioning them to understand the motive behind the theft. Areas around their residence are affected by Naxalites. Therefore, we have the suspicion that they planned to sell the weapon to Naxalites. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the case is being transferred to the crime branch for further investigation.”

According to the police, the agniveer, Alok Kaushal Kishore Singh, 20, worked as a radar protector guard at the AP Tower in New Navy Nagar. He told the police that on the night of September 6, the final day of the Ganpati festival, an unknown man wearing a naval uniform had approached him, posing as a senior Quick Response Team (QRT) official of the Indian Navy.

The “QRT official” allegedly asked the junior sailor to hand over his rifle and three magazines, saying he would now guard the tower as there was a high alert in the city. The man then told the agniveer that since he was a junior sailor, he should leave the watchtower and head back to the hostel. After the agniveer left, the “QRT official” threw the INSAS rifle and three magazines over the compound wall of the naval area to his brother, who was waiting on the outer side, said a police officer.

After stealing the weapons, the two brothers took a cab to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and boarded a train to Pune. From there, they headed to their hometown in Telangana, the officer added.

Soon after the incident was reported to them, the Cuffe Parade police registered a theft case under section 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Defence personnel, the police and some central agencies then launched a massive search operation for the thieves and the stolen weapons.

Following the brothers’ arrest, the police learnt that one of them, Rakesh, was also an agniveer who had joined the Indian Navy and was working in Kochi. “Due to his uniform and identity card, he managed to enter the high-security area in Mumbai. The brothers came to Mumbai on September 4, recced the area and then carried out the theft of the weapon. Right from the beginning, we suspected it to be the job of an internal person as outsiders are not allowed to enter the high-security zone,” said the police officer.

The Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy confirmed on X on Wednesday that the Mumbai police had arrested two people for the alleged theft. “The accused arrested from outside Maharashtra are being brought to Mumbai for further investigation. The Indian Navy continues to extend all possible assistance to the agencies involved in the subject investigation,” the post read.