Navi Mumbai An army man, who fled from his base in Bhopal around six months ago, was arrested in Vashi for possession a pistol and 10 live rounds without license. The accused, Sonam Hotam Singh (29) alias Sonu, fled his base and was trying to get selected for Kabaddi league for which he was attending practice sessions.
Sonam was currently residing at Juhugaon in Vashi. The police are investigating Singh’s motive for buying the pistol.
According to senior police inspector Ramesh Chavan from Vashi Police Station, the pistol carries a label of ‘Star Model 81 made in Mungair’. “Only for Army, is engraved on the barrel of the pistol. The army had declared him a fugitive after he fled,” Chavan added.
The incident came to light when on Tuesday, at around 3 pm, the Vashi police received information that a person was walking around with a pistol near Magnet Orchestra Bar in Vashi.
Based on the information, the police rushed to the bar at Juhugaon and nabbed Singh. During body search, the police found him in possession of pistol, firearms without a valid license. He was arrested under the sections of the Arms Act and Bombay Police Act.
“He is in police custody till Friday. He had joined Army in the year 2016 under sports quota and had got fed up of the work there and hence he fled,” Chavan said.