Dilshan killer hid rifle from Army

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The former lieutenant colonel who shot Dilshan, 13, in an Army residential complex near Island Grounds on July 3 had acquired the murder weapon in 2004 while he was posted in Jabalpur.

He kept the weapon, US-made Springfield .30 (M1903) rifle, a secret from the Army even after he retired two months ago.

CB-CID investigating officers arrested ex-serviceman K. Ramaraj late Saturday night after fishing out the weapon from the Cooum.

Addressing a crowded press conference at the CB-CID office on Sunday, additional director-general of police R. Sekar said Ramaraj threw the rifle into the river near Napier Bridge hours after he shot Dilshan.

“We recovered the gun from the river Saturday evening. On Sunday we retrieved a box with over 40 live cartridges that Ramaraj had also attempted to get rid of,” Mr Sekar said. “He had taken the rifle and cartridge box in his car and disposed them in the Cooum.”

Ramaraj had been staying in the Old Fort Glacis quarters on Flag Staff Road for the past two-and-a-half years. He retired from service on April 30 and had been permitted to stay in the quarters for three more months.

“When we first questioned him, Ramaraj claimed that he didn’t own a gun. He was forced to confess when we confronted him with evidence that he had applied for renewal of his gun licence,” an investigating officer said.

“Ramaraj said he opened fire at Dilshan because he was very irritated that the boy and his friends regularly trespassed into the Army premises to pluck fruit. He said they had become a constant nuisance,” the officer added.