Man Posing As Reliever For Navy Guard Flees With Rifle In Mumbai

A man wearing a naval uniform and pretending to relieve a junior sailor from sentry post duty has fled with the latter's rifle and ammunition from the naval area in south Mumbai, police said.

An inquiry has been ordered into the incident which took place on Saturday night in the Navy residential area here, an official said.

The Indian Navy and the Mumbai Police have launched a search for the man and the weapon, the official said.

A junior sailor, while on sentry duty, was allegedly approached by the man in naval uniform who pretended to have come to relieve the former of his duty.

The sailor gave his rifle and ammunition to the man. After some time, the man who had assumed the sentry duty in his place was found missing from the post along with the rifle and ammunition, the official said.

An extensive search operation in coordination with the Mumbai Police is underway to recover the lost items, he said.

A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the unidentified person at Cuffe Parade Police Station, the official said.

A Board of Inquiry has been ordered to probe the circumstances leading to the incident. The case is also under investigation by other government agencies, and the Indian Navy is extending all necessary assistance for it, the official said. 

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