MUMBAI: Powai police arrested a college dropout, Anand Chaudhary (23), from inside the IIT-Powai hostel premises on February 19 for allegedly keeping five 7.65 mm live cartridges in the bag of his friend, Apoorva Mishra, a first-year BTech student.
IIT security officials caught Chaudhary when he arrived to meet Mishra on February 19 and, after questioning him, handed him over to the police for further investigation. Chaudhary has been remanded in custody till Monday under provisions of the Arms Act. Police said they are yet to ascertain the reason behind Chaudhary’s intention to carry the live cartridges and keep them in Mishra’s bag.
Police said the bullets came to light when security officials searched students’ rooms for alcohol bottles after a fight broke out between them and officials detected the smell of alcohol.
Investigations revealed that Chaudhary allegedly kept the live cartridges in Mishra’s bag when he arrived in Mumbai on February 12 and requested Mishra to let him stay in the IIT hostel as a guest.
“Chaudhary came to Mumbai to meet his girlfriend and celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14. He claimed that he arrived two days earlier and, after staying with Mishra in the hostel as a guest, met his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. He, along with his girlfriend and Mishra, went out for a movie and dinner before dispersing. Mishra was aware of the bullets in his bag but did not consider it a serious matter, as it is considered normal in their hometown in Uttar Pradesh,” said an officer from Powai police station.
In his complaint, IIT security sub-inspector Amod Karanje (49) stated that the incident began after a dispute between hostel residents.
“On February 19 at 1.30 pm, Sham Golvinde of the QRT team contacted our duty officer and informed him that an argument was taking place between some students on the ground floor of Hostel No. 1. Upon receiving the message, I immediately reached the spot with my team. We saw two students arguing in the open space in front of Room No. 93. We were informed that Suraj Dubey of Room No. 93 and a student named Aman (full name not known), residing in Room No. 89, were fighting over a monetary dispute,” Karanje stated.
He said security officials intervened and later decided to check the rooms after noticing signs of alcohol consumption.
“At that time, Dubey and his friend Mishra, who was with him, smelled of alcohol. During further questioning, it was found that both are first-year BTech students. Mishra resides in Room No. 115 and Dubey in Room No. 93. Since consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the hostel, our team decided to check their rooms,” Karanje stated in the FIR.
Police said the IIT security team, including KP Sahu from vigilance and members of the QRT team, first searched Dubey’s Room No. 93. During the inspection, they checked a black Safari bag lying on the bed and found five live cartridges in the front pocket.
“When the guards found five live cartridges in the black bag, they questioned Dubey. He said the bag belonged to his friend Mishra. Mishra stated that his friend Chaudhary, a resident of Samastipur in Bihar, had come to IIT Powai from his village on February 12 to meet him. At that time, he had brought the live cartridges and kept them in the black bag,” the police officer said.
The officer added that Chaudhary frequently visited Mumbai and was apprehended when he arrived on February 19 to meet Mishra at the IIT hostel as a guest. He has been booked under the Arms Act. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the purpose behind keeping the cartridges in the IIT BTech student’s bag.
In a statement released by IIT-Bombay, the administration mentioned that the bullets were brought to the campus by a visitor of a student residing in the hostel. "Both of them are childhood friends. This came to our knowledge when two students had a physical altercation in hostel and the security came into the picture," it said.
"One of the students was found to be in a drunken state and as part of the standard process, the security checked his room and found liquor bottles. When they did further inspection of the room they found live ammunition (bullets) in the room. No weapon was found. A detailed internal investigation was conducted by the chief security officer and his team and the case was handed over to the police," mentioned the statement, adding that disciplinary action will be taken as per institute procedures
A FIR was filed, the visitor was presented before the judge and sent to judicial custody. The students were questioned by police and released. The matter is pending with the Powai Police, the institute said.