Raj era ammo found in Pune

Almost a thousand British-era cannon shells were found beneath the ground at the Khadak police colony in Pune on Thursday afternoon.

A Pune Municipal Corporation and the public works department contractor chanced upon the shells when his workers were laying the drinking water pipeline inside the colony.

The contractor Dinkar Alhat and his two workers, Mallesh and Yamanoor, were digging the common passage in front of house number 125 at 4pm when they came across the first shell. The workers said that they were ordered to dig about two to three feet deep to lay the pipeline. “We came across one shell and then many more were found,” Yamanoor said.

The housing colony was constructed in 1899. Before the police colony, the area used to house the British army’s horse cavalry and a stable. The premises also housed one of the oldest sub-jails in the state.

The city police and the state archaeological department officials believe that the cannon shells are more than 110-years old and were manufactured by the British when the Peshwa rule was on the decline. However, there are no inscriptions on the shells hinting to the period of their manufacture.

The shells are made up of iron (the outer shell) with explosive material inside. Each shell weighs 2.6 kg. Although the workers were digging with heavy iron shovels and pick axes, the equipment did not damage the shells.

A high-level team comprising deputy commissioner of police (zone 1) Dnyaneshwar Phadtare, deputy collector Dattatray Nawale, assistant commissioners of police Ranjit Dhure and Sangramsinh Nishandar and senior police inspector GV Nikam were present at the site. Also present was the bomb disposal and detection squad of the city police.