Four service revolvers that went missing from some Howrah policemen, and remain untraced, are vexing the state police headquarters. Of the six service revolvers lost since 1998, only two have been recovered. Howrah police fear that the other four have possibly been retrieved by criminals. “There is no doubt that the revolvers have reached criminals,” said district superintendent of police Mihir Bhattacharya.

The state police top brass in Writers’ Buildings has asked the district administration to conduct a probe. “We have asked the district authorities to find the revolvers,” said a senior officer.

The first revolver went missing in 1998 from a sub-divisional police officer of Uluberia. In 1998, another revolver went missing from a sub-inspector of Amta police station. Two years later, the security guard of the sub-divisional officer of Uluberia lost his service revolver, too. In 2001, the bodyguard of a Howrah MLA lost his to robbers.

Of the two revolvers that have been recovered, one went missing in July 2002 from a constable of Howrah Government Railway Police. The other went missing from a police officer in November 2003.