Theft of service weapons from inside a defence area is every Army's worst nightmare. At Bollarum, Secunderabad Cantonment, that nightmare came true.
Malkajgiri Police and Military Intelligence have now ruled out Agniveer involvement in the theft of 4 AK-203 assault rifles, 1 INSAS 1B1, six 9mm Auto 1A pistols, one civilian .35-bore pistol, a passive night-vision binocular and over 1,800 rounds from 20 Madras Regiment's Kote and Battalion Magazine. Locks were found broken when the magazine was opened at 7:50 am on Monday. Last physical count was at 6 pm on August 30.
The probe has gone secret. It is being conducted from an undisclosed location inside the defence area, so secretive that even Bollarum Police Station staff are unaware of its status. Army has reverified holdings, searched all authorised storage areas and checked issue registers.
Why Agniveer angle was looked at and dropped matters. 20 Madras has Agniveers in training. Any insider hand would raise questions on vetting under Agnipath scheme. Police saying no Agniveer link calms that political debate, but does not solve security question.
How did modern AK-203s - India's newest frontline rifle - vanish from a Kote in a Cantonment? Kotes have 24x7 guard, dual locks, daily counting. Breakage of locks indicates audacity, not just negligence.
This is not about 4 rifles. It is about black market for service weapons. An AK-203 in Maoist corridor or gangland is worth lakhs. 1,800 rounds means sustained firepower.
The Army's decision to bring in Military Intelligence and seal the probe suggests insider knowledge or procedural lapse. Till arrests happen, every unit in Southern Command will be doing 100% weapon verification. Trust inside the Kote has been broken.