Madhya Pradesh police were on toes on Friday, after two INSAS rifles were stolen by two persons posing themselves as army personnel from the Army Education Centre based in Pachmarhi in Hoshangabad district.

According to police, two unknown men clad in black track suit entered the army camp posing as army officers and later decamped with two INSAS rifles, three magazines and 20 live cartridges. They fled  till the time army personnel realised that rifles and cartridges were stolen.

At the entrance of the centre, the suspects had introduced themselves as army officers and an unsuspecting sentry had allowed them entry into the premises otherwise inaccessible for the civilians.

Superintendent of Police Hoshangabad, ML Chhari, told media persons that a massive manhunt has been launched for the accused, but no arrest was made by evening.

Later on Hoshangabad, police also released a CCTV footage in which a bearded man is seen in black track suit along with his associate.

The unknown persons after visiting the army camp left in a car and took a cab in Pachmarhi at around 12.30. The administration was sent into panic after the matter was reported to police in a complaint. Soon after the district borders were sealed and extensive checking drive was launched.

The unknown miscreants had landed at the Army Education Centre in Pachmarhi at around 3am.

They had hired a taxi from Piparia to reach pachmarhi and also returned to Piparia in the same vehicle. The taxi driver has been detained by police. The suspects were putting on caps, were speaking in Punjabi accent and were carrying bags, sad sources.

DIG Intelligence Manoj Sharma said that police have not been able to trace miscreants’ location after Piparia. We are also probing into the case with terror angle, said the officer.

Besides army intelligence, the inputs have been shared with other agencies as well. The police headquarters has alerted SPs of all the districts in Madhya Pradesh.