Thieves return with bigger vehicles to steal rare 1-ton cannon: 16th-century relic taken from Narwar Fort in MP; first attempt to lift it failed

A rare 16th-century cannon has been stolen from the historic Narwar Fort in Madhya Pradesh, nearly two decades after another cannon vanished from the same monument, prompting police to investigate whether the latest theft is part of a larger antiquities smuggling network.

The alleged theft took place on the intervening night of July 15 and 16, when an armed group is suspected to have entered the state-protected hill fort in Shivpuri district, threatened security guards and escaped with one of the fort's historic artillery pieces.

According to officials, the cannon was among 14 historic cannons displayed in the fort's open courtyard. Following the theft, only 13 remain.

How was the cannon allegedly stolen from Narwar Fort?

According to the complaint filed with police, around 25 to 30 armed men entered the fort through a rugged rear approach that is rarely used by visitors.

The group allegedly arrived with loading vehicles capable of transporting the massive artillery piece. After threatening the unarmed guards posted at the site, they allegedly loaded the cannon and fled.

Investigators believe the theft may not have been carried out in a single attempt.

Officials suspect the same group had earlier tried to steal the cannon on July 5, when they reportedly pushed it away from its original position but failed to move it because of its weight. They are believed to have returned days later with suitable vehicles and equipment to complete the theft.

Police are examining tyre marks found along the rear access route as part of the investigation.

Why is the stolen cannon historically significant?

Archaeology officials say the stolen cannon forms part of a collection of rare artillery preserved at Narwar Fort.

The cannons are made from special metal alloys, including brass, copper, bronze and ashtadhatu (an eight-metal alloy). Many also carry royal insignia and inscriptions in Persian and Devanagari, making them valuable historical artefacts rather than ordinary military equipment.

Although such objects cannot be assigned a formal market value, investigators believe they can fetch substantial prices in the illegal international antiquities market.

Why has the theft revived memories of 2007?

This is not the first time Narwar Fort has lost one of its historic cannons.

Nearly two decades ago, in 2007, two historic cannons were stolen from the same fort. One was recovered shortly afterwards, but the other has never been traced.

According to a Times of India report, that earlier disappearance later became part of a wider investigation after Mumbai Police arrested a member of a former Shivpuri royal family in 2012 for allegedly attempting to sell an antique artillery piece for Rs 1 crore.

Although the recovered object shared similarities with the missing Narwar cannon, investigators could not establish that it was the same artefact because its dimensions differed significantly, the report said.

The original cannon stolen in 2007 remains missing.

Have Madhya Pradesh's stolen antiquities surfaced overseas before?

The latest theft has also renewed concerns about international trafficking of Indian heritage objects.

According to The Times of India, one of Madhya Pradesh's most significant recovered antiquities was the 2,200-year-old Bharhut Yakshi sculpture, stolen from Katni district in 2006.

The sculpture was later traced to a warehouse in Manhattan, New York, during a US investigation into an international antiquities trafficking network. The operation also identified two other artefacts allegedly smuggled out of Madhya Pradesh, including a Salabhanjika sculpture and a Vishnu torso, the report said.

Investigators have previously said that stolen antiquities often pass through multiple intermediaries using forged ownership documents before reaching galleries, warehouses or private collections abroad.

Why is the investigation proving difficult?

The absence of surveillance infrastructure at Narwar Fort has complicated the investigation.

"There are no CCTV cameras inside the fort premises. We are examining footage from cameras installed on roads leading to and from the fort to identify the suspects and trace the route used to transport the stolen cannon. We have sought detailed information from the Archaeology Department and are also looking into the fort's history, including earlier incidents of antique theft," Gwalior Range Inspector General Arvind Saxena told The Times of India.

Shivpuri (Karera) SDOP Prashant Sharma also told The Times of India that the cannon weighs around 10 quintals, making it highly unlikely that it could have been moved without heavy vehicles.

"The cannon was most likely taken away on a loading vehicle. We are also examining earlier antique theft cases for possible links," Sharma said.

He added that investigators are taking technical assistance because the remote hill fort has no CCTV coverage.

What happens next?

Police have registered a case following a complaint by the fort's caretaker and are examining whether the theft was carried out by a local criminal group or by an organised network dealing in stolen heritage artefacts.

Investigators have not ruled out the possibility of an international antique-smuggling syndicate being involved, particularly given the historical significance of the stolen cannon and Madhya Pradesh's past experience with antiquities that eventually surfaced overseas.

(With TOI inputs)