City's first 'old modern' police station marks 100 years

The Gamdevi police station in south Mumbai is celebrating its centenary this year. The police station is the first "old modern police station" of Mumbai built in the year 1917 during the British Raj as a part of the Bombay town planning scheme 1915.

To mark the station's hundredth anniversary, the police officers are collecting its background information, photos, memories, and documents related to the station. "We are gathering all information regarding the history about the police station," said a senior police officer.

According to historians, the police station was the most modern station of its time. The police station was a crucial one as all the important areas including Nepean Sea Road, Lamington Road and today's Raj Bhavan fell under its jurisdiction till the late 1980s, after which the Malabar Hill police station was established and took over one-third of the jurisdiction.

Police historian Deepak Rao says, "Gamdevi was the most modern structure of that era in the city. There was even a compound and garden in front of the police station until 1975."

A few senior police officers who are now retired say, "In the 60s, it used to be a matter of prestige for police officers to be posted at this station. Not just because of its structure but also because of its status in terms of jurisdiction and presence of VVIPs."

They say several changes have been made to the police station over time.