In a shocking incident on Anant Chaturdashi, an unknown man dressed in a Navy uniform arrived at the Colaba Navy Nagar area in Mumbai to relieve his junior from duty and escaped with a rifle and live bullets.
According to sources, the incident took place on the evening of Anant Chaturdashi, when police and other officials were heavily deployed across the city. A junior sailor was stationed at Navy Nagar area when a person wearing a Indian Navy Sailor uniform with a senior rank aapproached him and asked for a handover. Assuming the man to be a senior officer, the junior immediately handed over the post and left the area. Later, it was discovered that the person was missing from the gate.
The impersonator escaped with an INSAS rifle and two magazines containing 40 live rounds. An extensive search operation is underway by agencies such as the NIA, ATS, and Mumbai Police to trace the suspect, according to sources.
The name of the missing person was not found in the duty roster, and a lapse in protocol during the handover from the junior officer contributed to the incident, sources added.
An FIR has been registered at Cuffe Parade Police Station. Three days have passed, and the accused remains at large with the rifle and live ammunition. All available CCTV footage is being reviewed by the investigating agencies.
The Indian Navy also released a statement saying that a rifle and ammunition were stolen from a sentry post in its Mumbai residential area on the night of September 6. A junior sailor on duty was deceived by an impersonator in a Navy uniform, who relieved him and escaped with the weapons. A search operation is underway with Mumbai Police, and a Board of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident. Other government agencies are also involved, with the Navy extending full cooperation.
