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Central intelligence agencies have initiated an investigation after the Haryana Special Task Force seized a consignment of 25,000 live cartridges being transported from Sirsa to Badaun in Uttar Pradesh. Teams from the National Investigation Agency and the Intelligence Bureau arrived in Rohtak on Wednesday to interrogate five arrested suspects, including the key operator of Badaun Gun House. Central investigators entered the probe because Sirsa is located roughly 200 kilometres from the Pakistan border, raising initial concerns over potential cross-border angles or threats to national security.
Central Agencies Question Accused Over Supply Route and Motive
Following their arrest, the five accused were produced before the Bahadurgarh court, which remanded them in police custody for four days. Investigators from the NIA and the IB spent two hours questioning the suspects separately at the STF office to determine the source of the large consignment, its intended destination, and whether the ammunition was meant to disrupt upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections or orchestrate violence. STF in-charge Yogender Dahiya stated that the primary objective of the interrogation is to establish where such a vast quantity of ammunition originated and where it was scheduled to be delivered.
Two-Vehicle Convoy Deployed to Evade Law Enforcement
Interrogations revealed that the operation was masterminded by 49-year-old Afifuddin, also known as Munna Khan or Bobby, a resident of Labela Chowk in the Civil Lines area of Badaun. The syndicate utilised a deliberate two-vehicle formation to minimise the risk of interception on highway routes. Afifuddin travelled in the lead car accompanied by his associate Zeenat Ara, a resident of Jalam Sarai Imli Chowk, with Ashim Rais driving. The forward car functioned as an advance reconnaissance unit to monitor road conditions and identify police checkpoints.
A second vehicle followed behind, carrying the concealed crates containing 25,000 cartridges. It was driven by Arbaz Ali, while Sabal Khan, a motor mechanic from Kabulpura, accompanied the consignment. The suspects planned for the rear car to take evasive turns or flee if the advance vehicle encountered police inspection. The strategy failed after the Bihar Police supplied specific intelligence, including vehicle registration numbers, allowing the Rohtak STF to intercept both cars simultaneously. Investigators also noted that Afifuddin, a married father of two, had been in a relationship with Zeenat Ara for a decade and had drawn her into the syndicate.
Raids at Badaun Gun House Lead to Fresh Case and Sealing
The investigation revealed that Badaun Gun House has been operating at Labela Chowk since 1962. The arms licence was originally issued to Afifuddin’s grandfather, subsequently transferred to his father Rahishuddin, and eventually passed to Afifuddin. Police found that the operator had been running an illicit interstate cartridge trade for approximately eight years. To evade regulatory suspicion, he maintained lawful stock registers and official inventory at the shop, sourcing and distributing contraband cartridges externally so local audits would detect no discrepancies.
Following the arrests in Haryana, joint teams searched Afifuddin’s residence and the gun house in Badaun, recovering illegal weapons, a rifle, a small-bore firearm, live rounds, and spent cartridges. A fresh FIR under the Arms Act was registered at the Civil Lines police station, and the gun house was sealed. Badaun Senior Superintendent of Police Ankita Sharma assigned the inquiry to the Circle Officer City, while technical teams analyze the call detail records of the accused to trace local accomplices. A formal report has also been forwarded to the District Magistrate recommending cancellation of the firearms licence.
