THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The story of police guns gone missing falls flat. No firearm belonging Special Armed Battalion(SAP) is missing, confirmed authorities. Of the six hundred and sixty 5.56 Insas Rifle, 616 are with different battalions and 44 in safekeeping. The affirmation comes amid CAG claim that 25 rifles disappeared from the stock.
A total of 660 rifles were purchased from the store in years between 2005 – 2016. The first buy of 500 rifles were made on 29 June, 2005 and another t0 on June and 6 in 2016. Later 80 rifles were given from the store in 2007, another 80 in 2011 and in the end 10 in 2014.
On Dec 1st of 2005, 95 rifles were turned over to KAP I. It was done based on orders from Police Headquarters. This was followed by handing 335 rifles to KAP III, 135 to KAP IV. 31 to AIR Batallion and 20 to City ARR .The 135 rifles originally given to KAP II was transferred to KAP III.
During CAG audit, officials failed to come up with records for a bunch of rifles taken by City ARR and subsequently returned, resulting in a CAG note that stated 25 rifles to be missing. The department later offered explanation for the gap in figures.
A probe by Crime Branch earlier confirmed there was no missing stock. However the agency will conduct a second round of investigations into the CAG stated shortfall.
