The police officials and authorities at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Uran were taken by surprise when two World War II artillery shells were found in an open plot. Although they were live, officers of the Indian Naval Station (INS) Karanja declared them harmless. INS Karanja is a base of the Indian Navy located nearby and is in possession of the shells.
Interestingly, there have been instances in the past where local fishermen have found spent ammunition and artillery shells at scrap yards in Navi Mumbai.
The two shells were found by a watchman at around 10.30 am at Kunde Village. While one shell is 2-feet long with a 14-inch diametre, the other one is one-and-a-half feet long with a 12-inch diametre. Both weigh around 15 to 20 kilograms. The plot where the shells were found was apparently allotted by the City and Industrial Development Corporation for the construction of an engineering college.
Police inspector (crime) Satish Patil of Nhava Sheva police station said, “Our local bomb disposal squad reached the spot, while INS Karanja was informed. They claimed, after preliminary examination, that the shells are live, but harmless. They said that the shells date back to the pre-1945 era and were used for artillery guns. The naval officers have taken them away and are yet to inform us of the next course of action.” Mr Patil further explained that such shells can be found lying underwater. They often get stuck in fishing nets and fishermen try to sell them to metal scrap dealers. Defence PRO Narendra Vispute said he was yet to receive a statement from INS Karanja.
Commander Ashok Kumar from INS Karanja refused to comment as well. On October 10, 2004 the Navi Mumbai police found a massive dump of anti-aircraft bullet shells, mortar rounds and spent machine gun cartridges in a dry stream near the Kalamboli steel market.