Stole INSAS rifle to ‘show-off in village’, use it for extortion, accused tells police

During interrogation, the duo told investigating agencies that they tricked sailor Alok Singh into handing over the weapon by impersonating his seniors.

Written by Manish Kumar Pathak

Mumbai | September 13, 2025 11:58 AM IST

3 min read

Mumbai Crime Branch DCP Raj Tilak Roushan addresses the media regarding the recent rifle theft case at the CP office in Mumbai Wednesday. (Express Photo by Akash Patil)

The arrested accused in the Navy Nagar rifle theft case, Rakesh Dubbula (22) and his elder brother Umesh Dubbula (25), have confessed to stealing the INSAS rifle and magazines not only as a ‘status symbol’ in their village, but also with the alleged intention of using the weapon for extortion and robbery.

During interrogation, the duo told investigating agencies that they tricked sailor Alok Singh into handing over the weapon by impersonating his seniors. A senior IPS officer said, “The accused confessed several stories, like they allegedly stole the weapon for a status symbol, so that people in their village get influenced. Umesh also revealed that he would allegedly extort money from contractors and commit robbery by threatening with a rifle.”

While police are probing all angles, including possible Naxal links, no concrete evidence has emerged so far. “We are not completely relying on the accused’s statement, our verification and interrogation is still going on,” said the official. The police are currently examining Umesh and Rakesh’s call records, social media activity, and past movements in their home district of Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, a Naxal-affected region of Telangana.

Investigators said a photo found on Umesh’s mobile phone, set as his display picture, show him holding an assault rifle. “The way he was holding the weapon, it is not possible for normal people. Only trained people can hold weapons in such a way,” said the officer.

On Friday, Umesh was taken to Navy Nagar for a panchnama. The procedure was carried out at the spot outside the compound wall from where the rifle and magazines were picked up, and the location where the accused boarded a taxi to flee. Rakesh is scheduled to be taken to the scene on Saturday for a similar panchnama.

Alok Singh, the sailor on duty during the incident, is still being questioned. Police said he has not yet been given a clean chit. “His role is still being examined,” the officer added.

Investigators also recovered photographs of Rakesh Dubbula and Alok Singh together, indicating they knew each other. However, in his initial complaint, Singh claimed he did not recognize the person who approached him on September 6, posed as a replacement sent by his seniors, and took away the rifle and magazines.

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Rakesh and Umesh were arrested on September 9 from their home in Telangana. According to police, they fled with one blank magazine and two magazines containing 40 live cartridges after deceiving Singh, who was on sentry duty at the time.

Rakesh, who completed his higher secondary education in Telangana, joined the armed forces in 2023 under the Agnipath scheme, a government initiative for a four-year short-term service in the military. He was posted at Navy Nagar in Mumbai from August 2024 to February 2025 and is currently stationed in Kochi.

The probe is being handled jointly by Mumbai Police and central agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and a senior officer from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), given the accused hail from a region with known Naxal activity.

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