Jaipur: The search for the 16th-century cannon stolen from Madhya Pradesh’s historic Narwar Fort has intensified in Karauli district’s Hindaun area in Rajasthan, where joint teams are tracking nearly 20 suspects after technical evidence linked them to both an alleged reconnaissance before the theft and the subsequent disappearance of the artefact. No arrests were made till Friday.A senior official associated with the investigation said the focus shifted to Hindaun after police excavated four locations Wednesday based on intelligence that the cannon may have been buried there by suspects believed to be part of a larger heritage smuggling network, but the searches yielded nothing.Sources said investigators analysed mobile phone data and found that around 20 suspicious mobile numbers were present near Narwar Fort on July 5, when an attempt was first made to steal the cannon, and again on the intervening night of July 15-16, when the theft was successfully carried out. The same mobile numbers were later traced to the Hindaun area of Karauli district, nearly 250 km from Shivpuri in MP, prompting investigators to widen the probe into Rajasthan.Senior MP police officers continue to camp in Karauli, while Rajasthan police have deployed multiple teams to assist the investigation. Officers are verifying suspected hideouts using call detail records, technical evidence, local intelligence and inputs from informers.Sources said that after excavations and searches with metal detectors in the area yielded no breakthrough, investigators shifted their focus to a village and several other locations identified during the investigation. Searches are expected to continue in phases over the coming days.Investigators suspect the cannon may have been moved from Karauli soon after the theft. “The planning and execution suggest the accused carried out a prior reconnaissance. If they reached Karauli after the theft around July 16, there is a possibility the cannon was subsequently moved elsewhere,” an official associated with the investigation said.The cannon, preserved at Narwar Fort, is regarded as an important 16th-century military artefact. Officials described it as an invaluable piece but also said that such rare historical artefacts can command enormous sums in the international illegal antiquities market, making organised smuggling one of the angles under investigation.
