Thiruvananthapuram : The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on the audit of modernisation of weapons in Kerala Police has found that 25 rifles and 12,061 live cartridges are missing from Special Armed Police Battalion (SAPB). The audit also observed that the Stock Register and related records of arms and ammunition in the SAPB were not properly maintained.
"The entries in the Stock Registers had many over writings, use of white correction fluid and striking off of entries etc. The entries and corrections were not properly authenticated. Audit could not find any evidence of conduct of periodical physical verification by higher officers from the records available at SAPB," the CAG report stated.
"Audit, therefore, conducted (16 October 2018) a test-check including joint physical verification in the SAPB, to assess whether the physical stock of arms and ammunitions agreed with the stock registers and whether the system of accounting of arms and ammunitions was robust and reliable. The joint verification conducted by Audit in the Bell-of-Arms of SAPB along with the Assistant Commandant revealed shortage of 25 Nos. of 5.56 mm INSAS rifles and 12,061 live cartridges," it said.
The CAG observed the police allegedly tried to cover-up the incident instead of taking action against those responsible. "Audit observed from the following instances that the Police Department was aware of the shortage in ammunition and attempted to cover up the shortfall instead of identifying and taking action against the culprits responsible or the loss of ammunition," read the report.
