The Crime Branch and central agencies are probing whether two brothers arrested for stealing an INSAS rifle along with 40 live cartridges and three magazines from Navy Nagar, Colaba, have direct links with Naxals.
The accused, identified as Rakesh Dubulla (20) and Umesh Dubulla (25), were arrested from Asifabad in Telangana, a Naxal-affected region, within 48 hours of the theft. Investigators suspect that the stolen rifle was intended to be handed over to Naxal operatives. The brothers are currently being interrogated by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
According to police, Rakesh Dubulla is an Agniveer jawan posted at INS Kochi, and had earlier served at INS Garuda in Mumbai in February 2024. His posting there gave him prior knowledge of Navy Nagar’s internal setup. His elder brother Umesh runs a liquor business in their native village in Telangana.
On 6th September evening, Umesh allegedly entered Navy Nagar, approached a 20-year-old jawan deployed for radar protection duty at AP Towers, and posed as a member of the Quick Reaction Team (QRT). He convinced the jawan to hand over his INSAS rifle, two loaded magazines and one empty magazine, and directed him to return to the hostel. Later, when the jawan returned to his post, he realised that both the accused and the weapon were missing.
The stolen rifle and magazines were smuggled out of Navy Nagar. Police said Rakesh threw the weapon over a compound wall to his brother Umesh, after which the duo boarded a taxi to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and fled to Telangana by train. The stolen arms were later recovered from a forest area near their residence in Asifabad, where they had been hidden in the bushes.
Police sources confirmed that the probe now centres on the possible Naxal connection of the Dubulla brothers. Investigators are trying to ascertain whether the arms were indeed meant to be supplied to Naxals operating in Telangana.