Army officer stopped at Chennai airport after bullet found in hand luggage

CHENNAI: A 25-year-old army officer was stopped at Chennai airport after security personnel detected a bullet in his hand luggage during routine screening.

The officer, identified as Sanjay Singh from Uttarakhand, was scheduled to board an IndiGo flight to Delhi when the security alarm was triggered.

On Saturday evening, a 7.62 mm SLR (Self-Loading Rifle) bullet was found in Singh's luggage while he was returning to his base after finishing training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in St Thomas Mount.

Following this, the army officer's flight was cancelled and the officer was handed over to the Chennai Airport Police.

They conducted an investigation and released the army officer after obtaining a written statement.

However, the seized gun was handed over to St.Thomas Mount Armed Reserve Police.

As per aviation security regulations, firearms and ammunition must be declared in advance and stored securely during transit.

During questioning, the officer reportedly stated that he had brought the bullet by mistake while traveling from Uttarakhand to Chennai via train and had forgotten to remove it before his flight.

Following verification with OTA authorities, it was confirmed that Singh was indeed an army officer undergoing training.