Four cops suspended for losing .303 rifle

Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar has suspended four personnel, including an inspector and assistant sub-inspector, in connection with an incident where miscreants had snatched a .303 rifle from a constable attached to Kodigehalli police station.

Inspector N Rajanna, ASI Munireddy, and constables Parameshappa and Siddappa were suspended on charges of dereliction of duty.

They were asked to wait for the next course of action.

Around 1.50 am on January 19, four miscreants tried to steal a vehicle parked in front of a house near Tata Nagar.

Parameshappa and Siddappa were on night beat in the area. The duo saw the miscreants and tried to catch them. But they threw stones and snatched the .303 rifle and fled the scene.

Taking the incident seriously, DG & IG Neelamani Raju asked Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar why constables did not fire at the miscreants though they had a rifle.

She directed the commissioner to initiate action against all the officers concerned.

The department had deployed 40 policemen and allotted two earth movers to search for the rifle in drains, lakes and deserted areas.

According to the police manual, it is mandatory to carry a rifle when constables are on night beat.

The constables were suspended for keeping the rounds (bullets) in the pockets and not loaded into the rifle.

If the rounds were loaded to the rifle, they could have fired at the miscreants and averted the incident.

Parameshappa had clarified that if they had loaded the rounds in the rifle, there was a chance of accidental trigger.

The ASI was suspended for the delay in reaching the spot.

The inspector was suspended for not informing the control room soon after the incident.

If he had alerted the control room, the miscreants may have been arrested the same night.

There was no progress in the investigation five days after the incident, the order stated.