HYDERABAD — Telangana police have arrested a former Army Havaldar in connection with the theft of firearms from a residential premise in the Bolarum area of Hyderabad, marking a significant breakthrough in a case that had left law enforcement scrambling for clues for over a week.
According to senior police officials, the investigation began after the victim reported that several firearms, including pistols and a rifle, went missing from his home. The theft was believed to have taken place when the house was unoccupied, and the accused appeared to have exploited prior knowledge of the residence's layout and security system.
Investigators quickly noticed that the manner in which the weapons were stolen — combined with the specialized nature of the firearms involved — pointed toward someone with military or paramilitary training. A team of probe officers was immediately constituted, and door-to-door inquiries, CCTV footage analysis, and informants' inputs gradually narrowed down the suspect list.
After more than seven days of continuous monitoring and surveillance, police tracked the former Havaldar, who had been discharged from the Army under routine circumstances and was residing in the Bolarum region. During questioning, he reportedly admitted to being involved in the theft, claiming that he had prior familiarity with the victim's property from his army service days.
The recovered weapons are now being examined by forensic experts, who will establish links between the firearms and any pending cases across the state. Police confirmed that the case has been registered under relevant sections of the Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code, and the investigation is ongoing to determine whether the accused acted alone or had accomplices.
Bolarum, located in the central part of Hyderabad near the Begumpet area, has seen an increase in reported crimes in recent months, prompting the Telangana government to order stricter policing measures in the locality. The arrest has been welcomed by local residents, who expressed relief that the probe team moved swiftly despite the initially stalled investigation.
