Banda police file a FIR 35 years after the theft in the case of 100 missing bullets

A gang of police filed an FIR on the reported theft of 100 live rounds from a police station in Pailani, a dacoity-infested area, 35 years ago in 1988.

At the time, the police were looking for whoever was in charge of the 'maal-khan' as they believed that he could be responsible for the missing cartridges. Once the maal-khana is found responsible, he can face arrest and subsequent trial in court. Additional SP Laxmi Niwas Mishra said the decision to register a case in the incident was taken after a two-year investigation, the report of which was submitted to SP Banda recently.

“The bullets have not been found yet. A case was filed against the maal-khan in charge at the time. Actions will be taken based on the facts that come to light during the investigation," he said. The "theft" would have gone undetected if the stockpiles of ammunition at police stations had not been examined to secure new cartridges in 2021.

In a September 2021 meeting with the then Banda SP, the issue of these missing 100 bullets was formally discussed and another SP Mishra was appointed to conduct the investigation.

SHO Pailani Kuldip Tiwari said an FIR has been lodged under section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) against the unidentified maal-khana responsible.At the time of the incident, Pailani was a police post under Jaspura police station limit. According to sources, it was the focal point of activities of several leaders of dacoit gangs, including Shiv Kumar Dadua.

There are several examples of policemen replenishing dacoits' stocks of bullets by stealing them from police stations and then selling them at a good price.