The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested a 24-year-old Uttar Pradesh native in Sewri with three country-made pistols and 10 live cartridges in his possession.
According to Mumbai Police sources, the youth, Ajay Kumar Sarvesh Kumar Diwakar, who hails from Kanpur, appears to be an ordinary citizen with no criminal record. However, key questions remain unanswered: who sent him, and to whom was he supposed to deliver the weapons?
Described by sources as a slim, boyish-looking man with specks on his face, Diwakar was allegedly instructed to collect a bag, board a train to Mumbai, proceed to a designated location, and hand over the bag — no questions asked. He was promised a fee for completing the delivery.
The designated location was near the Swayambhu Icchapurti Shree Ganesh Temple, situated along the BPL Container Road in the Mazagaon area.
Officers from the Crime Branch’s Anti-Extortion Cell had received a tip-off about Diwakar’s arrival. Acting swiftly, they reached the spot in advance and laid a trap. The operation unfolded as planned, and Diwakar was apprehended on the night of June 26 without resistance. The youth was frisked on the spot, and the police seized all weapons and ammunition.
“He said his job was just to deliver the bag. He had no idea to whom it was for. It was conveyed to him that someone would approach him and collect it. He was simply the delivery boy,” a police source said.
Vague responses
When officials were asked about the source of the weapons, how they were transported from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai without detection, and who the intended recipients were, there were no clear answers. The only response offered was “the investigation is underway.”
At the moment, Diwakar is in police custody while the Crime Branch officials are interrogating him to find out the sources and recipients of the arms and ammunition.
“He must have taken up the delivery job for money. Regardless, the offences registered against him under the Arms Act could lead to imprisonment of three years or more — the court will decide,” said a police source. A case has been registered against Diwakar at the Sewri police station.
An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “His phone records will be analysed to trace his communication related to the delivery job and to determine whether he is linked to an inter-state arms syndicate. The weapons recovered are country-made, or desi kattas, manufactured illegally in unregulated local setups. Efforts are underway to trace the source of these firearms.”
What happens next?
A couple of days ago, on June 24, a 42-year-old man was arrested in Mulund by the Crime Branch with possession of a country-made pistol and two live cartridges. Identified as Jagdish Vijay Yadav, he was previously booked for a murder in 2016 involving gunfire and destruction of evidence. Just like Diwakar’s case, the source of the weapon is still unknown.
