A firearm, live ammunition and a few used detonators were recovered from an abandoned well at Sathampatti village near Samayapuram on Friday.
Acting on information, police personnel rushed to the spot and found a rusted carbine, 40 rounds of ammunition, and 17 exploded electric detonators, besides two empty magazines, in the dry well.
The carbine is of foreign make and was not of the kind used by the Tamil Nadu Police, according to police sources here. A local boy noticed the material in the well and informed an ex-serviceman of the area who, in turn, alerted the Samayapuram police, the sources said.
Inspector General of Police, Central Zone, M. Ramasubramani, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tiruchi Range, A. Amalraj, and Superintendent of Police, Karur, Santosh Kumar, who is holding additional charge of Tiruchi, inspected the spot and conducted enquiries.
Complete details about the weapon and ammunition were being collected including the year of manufacture and where it was manufactured, IG Ramasubramani later told The Hindu .
The Tiruchi Rural police would seek the assistance of Ordinance Factory, Tiruchi, Mr. Kumar said adding that the weapon was completely rusted. The ammunition recovered was partially rusted, he added.
The Tiruchi Rural police were collecting information regarding the possible users of the weapon and ammunitions. The carbine is likely to have been manufactured in the United Kingdom, he said adding that it weighed about 2.7 kg with its magazine holding 34 rounds.
A special team has been constituted to conduct inquiries with villagers staying in surrounding areas from where the weapon and the ammunitions were recovered. Another team conducted a combing operation in the area.
The Samayapuram police have booked a case under Section 102 Code of Criminal Procedure (any police officer may seize any property which may be alleged or suspected to have been stolen, or which may be found under circumstances which create suspicion of the commission of any offence) and are investigating.
