The controversy surrounding the disappearance of a weapon handed over by Lieutenant General A K A Niazi during Pakistan's surrender in the 1971 war, ended on Sunday with authorities in the Indian Military Academy in Dehra Dun confirming that the weapon was safe in its museum.

"This weapon is safe and we had seen it on Saturday," a top IMA official said on condition of anonymity.

A senior army offficial in Delhi also denied that the weapon had been stolen. He expressed surprise over media reports that the weapon was stolen from the National Museum in Delhi on Saturday.

"It is a proper service weapon of the Pakistan Army; a revolver, not a pistol. It is in the safe custody at the IMA museum in Dehra Dun," he said.

However, IMA Commandant Lt Gen T S Shergill was not available for comments as he was out of station.

IMA spokesman Lt Col K Manmegh Singh said Shergill would on Monday make a statement regarding the controversy.

The revolver was handed over by Niazi to the commander of the Indian forces in Dhaka Lt Gen J S Aurora, who signed the final instrument of surrender in the 1971 war.

The war hero presented the weapon to the IMA during its golden jubilee celebrations in 1982.

More reports from Delhi