JAIPUR: In a shocking twist to the theft of a 400-year-old cannon from the historic Narwar Fort in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, police have alleged that the cannon was stolen to intimidate the Gurjar community and, if required, to damage the Panchana Dam in Rajasthan's Karauli district.
The dam has been at the centre of a long-running dispute over water sharing between the Gurjar and Meena communities in eastern Rajasthan.
According to the Madhya Pradesh Police, the cannon has been traced to Gamwada Meena village in Karauli's Hindaun subdivision and is expected to be recovered soon.
A team from Narwar police station in Shivpuri district has been camping in Karauli as part of the recovery operation.
Narwar SHO Vinay Yadav said the cannon was allegedly stolen from Narwar Fort on the night of July 15. During the investigation, police detained two suspects from Gamwada Meena village on Saturday.
According to Yadav, the suspects allegedly told investigators that the theft was linked to heightened tensions over the release of water from the Panchana Dam.
Based on the interrogation, police alleged that the accused had planned to use the cannon to threaten members of the Gurjar community who were reluctant to allow the release of dam water.
Investigators further alleged that if water was not released to Meena dominated areas, the cannon was to be used to target the Panchana Dam. Police said these claims emerged during questioning and remain part of the ongoing investigation.
The detained suspects have been identified as Aman Kumar Meena of Palanpur village and Timmu Ram Meena of Gamwada Meena village under the Sadar Hindaun police station limits in Karauli district.
Investigators traced the suspects by analysing mobile phone location data from the vicinity of Narwar Fort on the night of the theft.
CCTV footage from a toll plaza also allegedly showed a pickup vehicle transporting the cannon, providing another crucial lead in the investigation.
No arrests have been formally announced in connection with the alleged conspiracy beyond the detention of the two suspects.
The alleged conspiracy comes against the backdrop of a prolonged dispute between the Meena and Gurjar communities over the distribution of water from the Panchana Dam.
Leaders of the Meena community, whose villages fall within the dam's command area, have maintained that more than 35 canal linked villages depend on the irrigation system and have demanded that the canals, which have remained shut since 2006, be reopened immediately.
On the other hand, the Gurjar community, largely residing in nearly 39 villages around the dam's submergence zone in Sawai Madhopur district, has opposed the release of water until a lift irrigation project is implemented and adequate compensation is provided for land affected by the reservoir.
The prolonged closure of the canals has left dozens of villages facing irrigation shortages and has remained a recurring source of social and political friction in the region.
Following directions from the High Court, the Rajasthan government recently held talks with representatives of both communities before releasing water from the Panchana Dam into the command area.
Police sources claimed that the alleged plan to use the stolen cannon was linked to the possibility that water might still not be released despite the negotiations.
Police suspect the involvement of more than two dozen people in the theft. A pickup vehicle and metal pipes allegedly used to transport the nearly 3.5 tonne cannon have also been seized, according to SHO Vinay Yadav.
The recovery operation, however, has been slowed by a sit in protest by members of the Meena community in the village over the past three days, demanding the withdrawal of police cases registered during the recent Panchana Dam agitation.
The case was registered on July 16 after Ramesh Koli, a security guard posted at Narwar Fort by the Archaeological Department, lodged a complaint reporting the theft of the historic cannon.
Police said the 400-year-old cannon, weighing around 3.5 tonnes, was allegedly removed from the fort by an organised group of thieves.
According to investigators, Narwar Fort houses 14 rare cannons linked to the history of Raja Nal-Damayanti and later the Kachwaha Rajputs and the Scindia dynasty.
Police believe the thieves entered the fort through an unguarded rocky approach at the rear and allegedly used heavy vehicles and lifting equipment to remove the massive ashtadhatu alloy cannon.
