AK-47s stolen from COD Jabalpur supplied to naxals, criminals says NIA in chargesheet

New Delhi, June 03: The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet against an arms trafficker after a recovery of the AK series weapons were recovered in Munger, Bihar.

The NIA charged Rajiv Kumar Singh a resident of District Gaya in Bihar. The case relates to the seizure of 3 AK-47 weapons based on the disclosure of another accused Shamsher Alam from the premises of Rizwana Begum in 2018.

Following the Bihar police filed an FIR against 26 accused persons. The case was taken over by the NIA, following which 14 persons were charged.

Investigation has revealed that certain employees and ex-employees of Central Ordinance Depot (COD) Jabalpur, M.P had conspired with a group of arms smugglers and had stolen a large number of AK series rifles, their parts and SLR's from the sheds of COD, Jabalpur.

The king-pin of the racket, Purshottam Lal Rajak an ex armorer of COD had stolen serviceable parts from out of commission weapons and had manufactured functioning prohibited weapons such as AK-47.

22 such AK-47s have been recovered so far. These weapons stolen out of COD Jabalpur were then supplied to arms smugglers from Munger, Bihar which were then further supplied to naxals and criminals.

The chargesheeted accused Rajiv Kumar Singh is a close associate of chargesheeted accused Manjur Alam. He was an important link in the chain of supply of cannibalised weapons and used to receive the weapons from Manjur Alam and had supplied the same to naxals and criminals in Bihar and Jharkhand.