Villages placed on special alert

The decision was taken during a review meeting chaired by Lieutenant Colonel Ajay Grewal, ADM Commandant of the Mahajan Field Firing Range. Villages around the North, East, West, and South Camps—including Mahajan, Lunkaransar, Chhatargarh, and Rajiasar—have been placed on a special security alert.

Sarpanches have been instructed to caution residents and report suspicious activities immediately. The army has also ordered Panchayat-level awareness drives, warning that village representatives will be held personally responsible if thefts continue. Villagers say the order has become a major talking point and people have begun keeping vigil at night.

Written notices have been sent to Mahajan, Lunkaransar, Chhatargarh, and Rajiasar police stations, directing them to increase patrolling and surveillance.

Mahajan Police Station Officer Ramkesh Meena said, “We received the letter and have formed a special team. Pamphlets are being distributed in every village to inform the public.”

Lunkaransar police officials confirmed that joint patrolling around the range has already begun. Police suspect the thefts are carried out under the cover of darkness, with fuel being siphoned from army vehicles.

The Mahajan Field Firing Range is one of the Indian Army’s largest and most sensitive training grounds. Repeated fuel thefts—amounting to dozens of litres in the past month—have begun disrupting training operations. Lieutenant Colonel Grewal said, “Our priority is the security of the range. This can only be ensured with local cooperation.”