Amberpet sub-inspector jailed as police hunt for missing service weapon

Hyderabad: Amberpet police have arrested sub-inspector V Bhanu Prakash Reddy, who is under scrutiny for allegedly siphoning seized gold and losing his service weapon, adding to growing concerns over police accountability. Efforts to trace the missing firearm are still underway.Bhanu Prakash, a native of Andhra Pradesh, was taken into custody on Dec 28 last, though the arrest was not made public at the time. Some officials in the Secunderabad zone reportedly kept the matter under wraps, citing ignorance. Following his arrest, Bhanu Prakash was produced before a judge and remanded in judicial custody at Chanchalguda. He remains in jail as the investigation continues. The controversy erupted last month after it came to light that the SI allegedly misappropriated property recovered in a theft case. After apprehending the accused, he recovered four tolas of gold, which he reportedly pledged for a loan and later used for online betting. The issue surfaced as Bhanu sought to leave the police department for a new job under Group II in Andhra Pradesh. During the relieving process, he was asked to surrender his service weapon but failed to do so, claiming it had been misplaced. Subsequent investigations revealed the weapon was missing, prompting both task force and east zone police to search for it, without success.