The Bengaluru police have recovered a carbine machine gun (sten gun), which went missing from the Central Armed Reserve (CAR) armoury in 2007, from the now suspended CAR head constable Purushotham Rao.
The gun was recovered from his relative’s house, where it was hidden. The theft of the gun had led to suspension of 11 CAR personnel and withholding of one increment. A case had been filed in Kengeri Gate police station.
This is the second stolen weapon that the police are recovering from Purushotham. Earlier, the Cottonpet police, who were probing a case of assault on Purushotham by three men in an inebriated state, had recovered a 9mm calibre pistol that the men stole from him. Purushotham had allegedly stolen the pistol from his colleague Dashrath Rao on the Raj Bhavan premises, where they had been posted in 2006. After the recovery of the stolen pistol, the police probed into other missing weapons and a detailed investigation led them to recover the sten gun.
“Investigations have revealed that the accused had not used the sten gun so far. The purpose of stealing them is yet to be ascertained,” Praveen Sood, Police Commissioner, told reporters here on Saturday.
“Purushotham would be subjected to tests in Nimhans,” he said. Sources said that the sten gun had been issued to Sharief Yavagal when it went missing and the theft came to light during stock audit. “Since the weapon has been recovered, we will do everything to provide justice to those who were punished for negligence at that time,” Mr. Sood said, adding that even Dashrath Rao, from whom the pistol was stolen, had to face three years of suspension apart from financial and personal loss.
Purushotham has been booked under various sections of the Arms Act.
