Bullets found in Srisailam belong to police, says Atmakur DSP

The bullets that were found in Srisailam temple town belong to a Armed Reserve (AR) constable, the police said on Tuesday.

The police on Monday had recovered a bag with six live 303 calibre bullets, five SLR bullets, four 9 mm bullets and four empty SLR shells on a road divider in front of Vasavi guest house. Police also found four bombs and later confirmed that they are crackers used during Diwali.

The police on verifying the CCTV footage found that the bag was left behind by a police constable. “In the video footage, it was found that AR constable Ellappa was talking over his mobile phone near the road divider. He later went inside Vasavi guest house to have lunch, leaving the bag on the road,” Atmakur Deputy Superintendent of Police R. Ramanji Naik said.

By the time he returned, Ellappa saw people gathered near the bag and police verifying the bullets. Terrified, he left the place silently, the DSP said.

The DSP said the bullets are used for the weapons handled by the police department and there is no need to panic. “There is no movement of Maoists or any other elements as feared. They belong to the police department and we assure the pilgrims not to panic,” he said.

Asked about the red cloth found in the bag, the DSP said Mr. Ellappa has the habit of reading astrology books and is a staunch devotee and he might have kept the cloth considering it as a good omen.

The DSP said they are verifying as to why the constable had kept the crackers with him. Mr. Ellappa joined the police force as a constable in AP Special Police in 1983 and subsequently moved to the Armed Reserve in 2005. He is due to retire this month end. “Action will be initiated against the constable for his negligence,” the DSP said.