Five live cartridges recovered from a student's bag at IIT Bombay hostel

Mumbai: Five live 7.65 mm cartridges were recovered from the bag of a student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay in Powai during a security check inside the hostel premises, following a minor dispute over money between students, officials said on Sunday. 

Acting on a complaint filed by a campus security officer, Powai Police have registered an FIR against an accused and launched a detailed investigation.

"Preliminary findings suggest that the live cartridges were brought from Bihar, and police are now probing this link," officials said.

According to the police, a security officer who was on night duty was alerted at around 1:30 a.m. on February 19 by the Quick Response Team about a dispute between two students on the ground floor of Hostel No. 1.

When the security officer arrived at the scene, they found that a verbal argument had erupted between Suraj Dubey, a first-year B.Tech student residing in Room No. 93, and Aman, a resident of Room No. 89, reportedly over a financial transaction.

The hostel's security team intervened and managed to calm the students.

During the interaction, security staff allegedly detected the smell of alcohol on Suraj Dubey and his friend Apoorv Mishra. Since alcohol is strictly prohibited inside the hostel premises, the authorities decided to search their rooms in accordance with institutional regulations.

While inspecting Suraj Dubey's room, hostel security personnel checked a black bag kept inside. From the front compartment of the bag, five live yellow-metal cartridges bearing the marking 'KF 7.65' were recovered.

When questioned about the ammunition, Suraj Dubey reportedly claimed that the bag did not belong to him but to his friend Apoorv Mishra. During further questioning, Apoorv allegedly disclosed that the cartridges belonged to his acquaintance, Sarvottam Anand Satishchandra Chaudhary (23), a resident of Samastipur, Bihar.

According to Apoorv, Sarvottam had visited IIT Powai on February 12 and had placed the live cartridges inside the bag during his visit. Senior officials were immediately informed about the development.

On February 19, when Sarvottam Chaudhary returned to the campus, he was detained for questioning. During interrogation, he allegedly admitted to having purchased the 7.65 mm cartridges from Munger in Bihar.

At around 10 p.m. the same night, Security Sub-Inspector Amod Karanje handed over the five live cartridges to the police station, after which a case was registered against Sarvottam Anand Chaudhary under relevant sections related to the illegal possession and transportation of ammunition.

The recovery of live ammunition from the hostel of one of the country's premier technical institutions is being viewed as a major security concern. The seizure has also raised the possibility of an illegal ammunition supply connection.

Police are now investigating the motive behind bringing the cartridges onto the campus, examining whether any criminal conspiracy was involved and if the matter is connected to a broader illegal arms supply network.

Meanwhile, security arrangements at IIT Powai have been further strengthened, and a comprehensive probe into the incident is currently underway.

Further details are awaited.