Army jawan held with 70 AK-47 cartridges in Meerut
A serving Army jawan was apprehended late Tuesday night near the Rapid Rail station in Meerut for allegedly carrying 70 live cartridges meant for an AK-47 rifle, Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) confirmed. The arrest was made during a joint operation with Meerut police following a tip-off regarding illegal ammunition transport.
The accused has been identified as Rahul Kumar, a resident of Nagli Azad village and currently posted with the counter-terrorism battalion at the Mechanised Infantry Centre and School in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.
According to the first information report (FIR) filed on Wednesday at Pallavpuram police station by ATS sub-inspector Amit Kumar Bhati, authorities received information about a man travelling in a car with illegal cartridges. The ATS team coordinated with local police already conducting vehicle checks at Modiouram outpost, and intercepted a suspicious vehicle near the Rapid Rail station.
'Rahul, wearing an Army ID card at the time of arrest, was found in possession of 70 AK-47 rounds during a search of his car. He was taken into custody on the spot and booked under Sections 7 and 25(1-AA) of the Arms Act, 1959,' deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Prakash Chandra Agarwal said. 'The matter is being investigated thoroughly.'
During initial questioning, Rahul revealed that he had retained the cartridges from a previous deployment in Jammu and Kashmir, where he had taken part in anti-terror operations. Instead of returning the unused ammunition to Army stores, he admitted to bringing it home while on leave, ATS said.
He told investigators that a friend in Meerut's Shastri Nagar, claiming to be a member of the special task force (STF), had lost his cartridges and requested Rahul to provide some. The accused said he intended to hand over the ammunition during his leave period.
However, when he reached Meerut and called his friend to meet near a college, the friend did not arrive. Another youth reportedly approached the soldier near the meeting point, at which point Rahul allegedly threw the cartridges toward him and tried to escape. He was detained by the police immediately, the FIR stated.
Senior Army officers reached the scene shortly after the arrest to assess the situation. A parallel inquiry has been initiated by military authorities.
Officials are investigating how the rounds were smuggled out and whether others are linked to the suspected illegal transfer.
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