Wrapped In Mattresses, Pushed 3000 Feet Downhill: How Thieves Stole 400-Year-Old Cannon Weighing 3,500 Kg From Historic Narwar Fort

Shivpuri: A nearly 400-year-old cannon weighing around 3,500 kg has been stolen from the historic Narwar Fort in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district. The carefully planned theft, carried out in a bizarre manner, has exposed serious lapses in the security of the protected monument.

The cannon was kept in the fort’s Open Kacheri complex alongside 13 other historic artillery pieces.

The Bizarre Theft

According to local reports, the thieves covered the cannon with mattresses and quilts before placing it on an iron trolley fitted with bearings. They then moved it approximately 3,000 feet downhill, loaded it onto a vehicle waiting near the fort and escaped.

Investigators reportedly recovered a mattress, a quilt and a pipe from the route used to transport the cannon. Tyre marks believed to have been left behind by a heavy vehicle were also found outside the fort.

Police suspect that the theft was executed in two stages. The accused allegedly entered the fort on the night of July 4-5 and pushed the cannon from its original position. However, they could not take it away because of its enormous weight.

Security personnel subsequently informed the local police about the attempted theft, but the cannon was neither returned to its designated place nor shifted to secure custody. The thieves allegedly returned on the night of July 15-16 with a specially prepared trolley and successfully transported it downhill.

Where Were The Guards?

Questions have also emerged over the accounts given by security personnel. A guard initially claimed that 25 to 30 armed men had entered the fort and threatened the guards. However, the subsequent investigation reportedly found that the two guards assigned to night duty had left the fort and returned home, leaving the monument unattended.

Six guards were assigned to protect the fort, with four deployed during the day and two at night. A security guard reportedly told investigators that the fort lacked basic facilities for overnight duty, including lighting, security equipment and accommodation.

Police Examining CCTV Footage

Shivpuri Superintendent of Police Yangchen Dolkar Bhutia described the theft as an extremely serious and sensitive matter. Special investigation teams have been formed, checkpoints have been established on routes around the fort and footage from CCTV cameras in surrounding areas is being examined.

Police are also investigating whether the theft was carried out by an organised interstate or international antiquities-smuggling network. State Archaeology Department officials have described the cannon’s disappearance as a major loss to Madhya Pradesh’s cultural heritage.

The stolen cannon was approximately 5 feet 10 inches long and 30 inches wide. It was among 14 historic cannons displayed at the fort, leaving only 13 at the site. The artillery pieces are made from mixed metals such as brass, copper, bronze and other alloys. Some also carry inscriptions in Persian and Devanagari.

The Open Kacheri complex is believed to date to the 16th century and was renovated in 1925 on the orders of Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia. Local reports estimated that a cannon of such historical significance could command between ₹3 crore and ₹5 crore on the illegal international antiquities market.

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