Mumbai: The Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Mumbai Crime Branch on Friday recreated the crime scene in the sensational INSAS rifle theft case at Navy Nagar, Colaba. The exercise, which lasted for about an hour, began around 6 pm, with both arrested accused — Rakesh Dubulla (20) and his elder brother Umesh Dubulla (25) — present at the spot.
Brothers’ Alleged Motive: Terror and Extortion
According to investigators, the duo allegedly stole the rifle with the motive of creating terror in the forests of Asifabad, Telangana, using high-tech weaponry. Police suspect the brothers also intended to expand their extortion activities in the region.
Rakesh, an Agniveer jawan posted at INS Kochi, had earlier served at INS Garuda in Mumbai in February 2024, giving him prior knowledge of Navy Nagar’s internal setup. His brother Umesh, police revealed, is allegedly involved in illicit liquor trade and extortion rackets in Telangana. Mumbai Police have sought details of Umesh’s criminal record from the Telangana Police. Investigators believe the brothers were planning to establish dominance in forest areas through rackets involving teakwood, tendu leaves, ayurvedic herbs, and liquor smuggling.
How the Rifle Was Stolen
On September 6, Umesh allegedly entered Navy Nagar impersonating a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) member. He approached a 20-year-old jawan on radar protection duty at AP Towers and convinced him to hand over his rifle along with two loaded magazines and one empty magazine. The jawan later realised he had been duped, and the weapon was missing.
Recovery of Rifle and Magazines
Police said Rakesh tossed the rifle over the compound wall to Umesh, after which the two fled to Telangana via train from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. The stolen rifle and magazines were later recovered from a forest area near their home in Asifabad, where they had been hidden in bushes.
