Live cartridges found in Delhi’s Radisson, 3 Italians held

PUNE/NEW DELHI - Three Italians were detained Thursday after the recovery of 24 live cartridges from a room in Delhi’s Radisson Hotel where they stayed two days ago, police said. Two Indians were also held.

While two Italians were detained by Pune police, the third is believed to have been picked up in Mumbai. Giovanni Cecconello, Donato de Angelo and Giulion Tometto were apprehended after a look-out notice was issued Wednesday, Delhi Police said.

“We got to know about the incident Tuesday night. A case was registered under the Arms Act and a team has been sent to investigate the matter,” police official said.

According to Delhi Police, two magazines with 24 live cartridges were found Thursday by hotel staff while cleaning Room No. 448 of south Delhi’s Radisson Hotel where the three Italian nationals had stayed Tuesday.

“One of them was detained in Mumbai while the other two where caught in Pune,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H.G.S. Dhaliwal said. The foreigners had vacated the room Tuesday, police said.

The four detainees, including the Indians, in Pune were picked from Pride Hotel around 3 a.m. Thursday.

Of the two Indians, Balraj Singh Rajendra Suri is believed to be a resident of Andheri suburb of Mumbai, while Rajesh Ramesh Shetye belongs to Dombivli town of Thane, police said.

An official of the consulate of Italy in Mumbai has arrived in Pune to offer assistance to its detained nationals. Pune police are awaiting a team from Delhi to reach and take charge of the detainees.

The three foreign nationals will be brought back to Delhi. The case has been handed over to the special cell of Delhi Police.

Security has been beefed up at Radisson Hotel, located close to the Indira Gandhi international airport. In February, two British nationals were caught from the same hotel while they were involved in plane spotting. They were later granted bail and let off.