Mumbai News English news | Mumbai News, Latest News & Live Updates in English | English News (Latest English News) at Lokmattimes.com

Panic gripped the hostel premises of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Powai) late on February 19, 2026, after five live 7.65 mm cartridges were recovered from a student’s bag during a security check following a minor dispute over money. The sensational recovery has raised serious concerns over campus security and hinted at a possible illegal ammunition supply network. Based on a complaint lodged by a campus security officer, the police have registered an FIR against one accused and initiated a detailed investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that the live cartridges were brought from Bihar, and police are now probing this link. According to police sources, Amod Ramdas Karanje (49), posted as Security Sub-Inspector at IIT Powai, was on night duty on February 18. At around 1:30 am on February 19, the Quick Response Team informed him about a dispute between two students on the ground floor of Hostel No. 1. Upon reaching the spot, security personnel found that a verbal altercation had broken out between Suraj Dubey, a first-year B.Tech student residing in Room No. 93, and Aman, a resident of Room No. 89, over a financial transaction. The security team intervened and managed to calm both students. During the interaction, security staff sensed the smell of alcohol from Suraj Dubey and his friend Apoorv Mishra. As alcohol is strictly prohibited within the hostel premises, authorities decided to conduct a search of their rooms as per institutional rules. During the search of Suraj Dubey’s room, a black bag kept inside was checked. From the front compartment of the bag, five live yellow-metal cartridges marked “KF 7.65” were recovered. The estimated value of the seized cartridges is around ₹3,500. When questioned, Suraj Dubey claimed that the bag did not belong to him but to his friend Apoorv Mishra. Upon further interrogation, Apoorv made a startling revelation. He stated that the cartridges belonged to his friend, Sarvottam Anand Satishchandra Chaudhary (23), a resident of Samastipur, Bihar. According to Apoorv, Sarvottam had visited IIT Powai on February 12 and had kept the live cartridges inside the bag at that time. Senior officials were immediately informed about the development. On February 19, when Sarvottam Chaudhary returned to the campus, he was detained for questioning. During interrogation, he allegedly admitted to purchasing the 7.65 mm cartridges from Munger in Bihar. At around 10 pm the same night, Security Sub-Inspector Amod Karanje handed over the five live cartridges to the police station, following which a case was registered against Sarvottam Anand Chaudhary under relevant sections pertaining to illegal possession and transportation of ammunition. The recovery of live ammunition from the hostel of one of the country’s premier technical institutions is being viewed as a serious security lapse. Police are now investigating the motive behind bringing the cartridges onto the campus, whether there was any criminal conspiracy involved, and if the incident is linked to a wider illegal arms supply network. Meanwhile, security measures at IIT Powai have been further tightened, and a thorough probe into the matter is underway.

Mumbai NewsFOLLOW

Mumbai news, Latest News

A gas tanker rammed into the side barricade of Amrutanjan Bridge in the Borghat stretch on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on ... ...

Police have unearthed an egg-donation racket, suspected to involve crores of rupees, that repeatedly exploited vulnerable women in Maharashtra's ... ...

Fire breaks out at the high-rise building in Mumbai's Kandivali on Sunday evening, it was successfully brought under control by the ... ...

In a major anti-narcotics operation, the Bandra Railway Police have busted a charas smuggling racket and seized ... ...

A major fire broke out near South Mumbai’s Coastal Road on Sunday, sending thick plumes of smoke into the ... ...

A 30-year-old man with a criminal background was allegedly murdered by members of a rival group in Nalasopara late ... ...

Mumbai recorded a maximum temperature of 36.3°C on Saturday, marking the highest temperature of the season so far. The ... ...

Panic gripped the hostel premises of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Powai) late on ... ...