In an anticlimactic end to a local treasure hunt, a large sealed pot (deg) excavated from grazing land in Rajasthan's Tonk district was found to contain nothing but soil. The discovery, which sparked speculation and a police investigation, concluded on Monday with officials confirming the pot held no antiques.
The Excavation and Initial Speculation
The incident unfolded on Saturday evening in Sidda village under the Niwai tehsil of Tonk district. Local residents alerted authorities after noticing fresh rose petals and a pair of slippers scattered on a patch of grazing land. This unusual sight raised immediate suspicions of occult practices or a hidden cache.
Acting on the information, a combined team of police and civil administration officials arrived at the spot. They conducted an excavation using a JCB machine, which unearthed a massive sealed pot weighing between 100 to 150 kilograms. The heavy deg was promptly taken into custody by revenue officials for secure assessment.
Official Examination Reveals the Truth
On Monday, the sealed pot was officially examined at the sub-treasury office in Niwai. The assessment was carried out by a team from the Jaipur archaeology department, led by superintendent Neeraj Tripathi. The procedure was conducted in the presence of police, archaeology officials, and administrative authorities.
Tonk Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar Meena stated that contrary to widespread expectations of finding ancient artefacts or treasure, the pot was completely filled with soil. This finding ruled out any historical discovery and shifted the focus towards a potential fraudulent scheme.
Police Investigation and Detentions
Parallel to the examination, a dedicated police team was investigating the peculiar circumstances surrounding the pot's discovery. The presence of rose flowers had initially suggested possible tantra-mantra (occult) activities. The investigation took a significant turn on Monday when police detained two young men from Sidda village itself.
The detained individuals were identified as 32-year-old Mukesh Meena and 24-year-old Abhishek Meena. While their direct connection to this specific pot incident is still under investigation, police suspect them of involvement in similar 'antique' frauds in other areas. SP Rajesh Kumar Meena clarified that the duo are suspected of cheating innocent people by pretending to locate buried treasures elsewhere.
A crucial piece of evidence was recovered from the men: brass metal-like objects were found in their pockets. Police believe these items were used as props to convince potential victims of their ability to detect hidden wealth underground, thereby executing their fraudulent schemes.
Niwai Tehsildar Naresh Gurjar, who was involved in the initial excavation and subsequent procedures, corroborated the sequence of events from the public alert to the final examination by the archaeology experts.
