JAIPUR: A historic cannon, nearly 400 years old, stolen from Madhya Pradesh is now being searched intensively in Rajasthan. Police authorities in Karauli district have launched a massive search operation involving over 50 police personnel who are conducting continuous searches at suspected locations. The Police believe that the huge cannon, weighing 3.5 tonnes, stolen from the famous Narwar Fort has been hidden in Karauli district in east Rajasthan.
The search is centred on Gaonra Meena village in Karauli, where police teams from both states have been stationed since Wednesday morning. Officers from several police stations are examining sites that reportedly witnessed recent excavation activity. Investigators suspect the stolen cannon may have been buried in the area.
A metal detector team from Bharatpur also arrived at the site to search for the cannon to scan the ground with electronic equipment.
Search teams are carrying out excavations at multiple locations using JCB machines, to determine whether the cannon has been concealed beneath the surface. Karauli DSP Munesh Meena said that the Madhya Pradesh Police reached Karauli while pursuing leads in the theft case and conducted searches in the forested areas around Gaonra Meena. Based on the findings, Rajasthan Police joined the operation.
A total of 14 rare historical cannons dating back to the Scindia dynasty era were kept in the open courtyard of Narwar Fort. On the night of July 15 nearly 30 armed and masked men entered the fort through a difficult access route in a loading vehicle. They reportedly threatened the unarmed security guards at gunpoint before fleeing away with the 16th-century cannon. It is suspected that the thieves are linked to the international antique black market.