Former Police follower held for gun theft in Jammu

Jammu, May 15: Amid reports circulating on social media regarding the theft of a firearm by a police follower, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday clarified that the accused individual had already been dismissed from service well before the incident occurred.

According to official sources, an FIR No. 23/2025 under sections 305 and 331 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at Police Station Arnia in district Jammu. The FIR pertains to the alleged theft of a 12-bore double barrel gun by one Rahul Chandel, who was previously employed as a follower in the JKAP 8th Battalion.

The incident occurred on May 12, 2025, and police promptly acted upon the matter, leading to the recovery of the stolen weapon and the arrest of the accused. Chandel is currently in police custody on remand at PS Arnia as part of the ongoing investigation.

However, police have strongly rebutted social media claims linking the accused to the armed police in an official capacity at the time of the incident.