98 live cartridges of 9mm pistol found at Nagpur Rly Station
| Date :19-Mar-2019 |
Staff Reporter,
Intelligence agencies and police started investigation Three boxes of live cartridges were discovered at Nagpur Railway Station on Monday throwing administration in tizzy. In all 98 cartridges were found in a room of carriage and Wagon (C&W) Department adjoining platform No. 7. These live cartridges are of 9 mm pistol and question is how did they reach here. The finding of cartridges has sent alarm bells ringing in the State administration as it comes against backdrop of general election. Law enforcement agencies and intelligence wings of State and Central Forces have joined the investigations. A police officer informed that a sweeper - Liladhar Raut (37), a resident of Mankapur - of Carriage and Wagon (C&W) discovered the box of cartridges while cleaning the room near the platform in the evening.
He immediately alerted Control Room of Railway Protection Force (RPF). Staff of RPF led by Inspector Virendra Wankhede and Government Railway Police (GRP) and railway official including Senior Section Engineer Dhananjay Kane rushed to the spot. A police officer informed that the cartridges were found in the three boxes in an almirah.
Some cartridges had fallen on the ground from a loose box. As the boxes having number coding, it looks like cartridges belong to central armed force. Another officer informed that cartridges could be related to Indo Tibet Border Police (ITBP). A total of 463 live cartridges was found in an election special train at Nagpur on November 22 last year. The train was tasked for ferrying Central Forces for poll duties during Assembly Elections. The train had ferried a group of ITBP personnel to Vijaywada and stopped at Nagpur station. Someone could have stolen the cartridges and kept in the almirah fearing arrest, the officer said. Another officer said that detailed report of the cartridges would be sent to Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Union Home Ministry.
“Our officers will also contact the ITBP officials to ascertain whether these cartridges belongs to their unit,” he said. Since Lok Sabha election process has started the cops would be trying to go in depth to find out any conspiracy angle. GRP have seized the cartridges. Further investigation is on. API Mubarak Sheikh, PSIs Ravi Wagh, Gourishankar Edale and staff including Gajanan Shelke, Roshan Mogre and others took part in the action.