Bank robbery videos, Army personnel and arms dealers: Bolarum theft probe reveals wider plot
A former Army Havaldar, Upputholla Mallesh, has been arrested for stealing firearms from an Army facility in Secunderabad. Investigations reveal he had organized a criminal network and studied bank robbery techniques to fund his lifestyle after retirement.
Why it matters
The case exposes security vulnerabilities within military installations and the potential for former personnel to leverage specialized training for criminal activity.
Weeks before stealing firearms from the Army premises at Bolarum in Secunderabad Cantonment, former Havaldar Upputholla Mallesh allegedly shared bank robbery videos with his cousin and an associate, asking them to study how such heists were carried out. Investigators now say he had built a network comprising serving Army personnel, prospective robbers and alleged arms dealers before the theft on August 30, 2026.
The details emerged during Mallesh’s police custody from September 22 to October 1. Malkajgiri Police Commissioner B. Sumathi said that financial difficulties following his retirement, a grudge against superiors and coupled with a penchant for ‘quick money’ eventually led him to consider armed robberies.
Mallesh joined the Army as a sepoy in 2010 and served in various parts of the country including West Bengal, Meghalaya and. He later served with the 20 Battalion, Madras Regiment, in Secunderabad, Telangana.
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