Telangana DGP C.V. Anand, speaking at a press conference on September 11, 2026, said police had cracked the Army arms theft case at the Madras Regiment in Bolarum, Secunderabad Cantonment, which had created a major sensation across the country.
The investigation revealed that retired Havildar U Mallesh alias Raju, who had served in the regiment, was responsible for the theft, the DGP said. He took the stolen weapons to his native village in Amrabad mandal of Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, dug a pit and buried them there.
The weapons were subsequently recovered by the police, C.V. Anand said.
According to the DGP, weapons, magazines, bullets and a binocular were stolen from the Bell of Arms of the Madras Regiment at Bolarum on August 31, 2026.
The Hyderabad Task Force, Special Operations Team (SOT), Law and Order police and Intelligence Department jointly investigated the arms theft case, the DGP said.
Police examined technical evidence, besides deploying the dog squad and analysing fingerprints. A total of 16 personnel who regularly used weapons were identified and their movements were examined, he said.
At the same time, police also questioned 54 personnel who were on leave, as well as several others who had retired and gone on pension, C.V. Anand said.
The police also investigated whether outsiders were involved in the theft and whether there were any drug mafia or other criminal angles behind the incident, the DGP said.
As part of the investigation, Bell of Arms in-charge and Ammunition Section in-charge were questioned as suspects, C.V. Anand said. However, no crucial evidence linking them to the theft was found, he added.
The police subsequently focused their attention on Havildars, C.V. Anand said.
Although police had technical evidence relating to Mallesh’s movements, he initially attempted to conceal the facts, the DGP said. Even after police asked him to appear for questioning, he initially did not turn up.
Police also found that his phone call list and WhatsApp chats had been deleted, he said.
During questioning, police noticed fear and anxiety in Mallesh and questioned him more deeply. The police then explained the seriousness of the case to his wife. After she questioned her husband firmly, Mallesh finally admitted to the theft of the weapons, C.V. Anand said.
The DGP said Mallesh had taken the stolen weapons to his native village and buried them in a pit.
Police conducted searches at the locations shown by him and recovered the weapons, magazines, bullets and binocular.
However, the investigation is still continuing into why Mallesh moved the weapons from one location to another and to whom he intended to hand over the stolen weapons, the DGP said.
Officials also found that Mallesh had been removed from Army duties on June 30, 2026. He was reportedly removed from service over disciplinary indiscipline and health-related reasons.
Preliminary investigation indicates that resentment and anger over his removal from the Army may have prompted him to commit the theft, officials said.
Meanwhile, police examining Mallesh’s social media accounts reportedly found that he was following the Instagram account of an arms dealer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan.
This has led investigators to examine whether Mallesh stole the weapons with the intention of selling them or whether he intended to hand them over to someone else. The investigation is continuing from these angles as well.
The theft had triggered heightened security at Secunderabad Cantonment after 12 firearms, including four AK-203 rifles, were reported stolen from the military establishment. The incident had prompted a high alert at the cantonment and intensified investigations by multiple police and intelligence agencies.
