Mumbai Police to create memorial wall from 1908 Crime Branch building

Demolished last week the 117yearold stone building that once housed the Mumbai Police Crime Branch will live on in a new form Every reusable stone from the razed structure is being preserved with plans to construct a replica fortressstyle memorial wall at the Naigaon Police Headquarters parade groundThe structure built in 1908 using Malad stone had witnessed some of the biggest moments in the cityrsquos policing history from the arrest of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in the preIndependence era to the interrogation of 2611 terrorist Ajmal Kasab Declared unsafe and beyond repair the building has now been fully demolishedAlthough the twostorey structure is gone and the site cleared for redevelopment senior officials stressed that the legacy of the Crime Branch will not vanish with the rubble The preserved stones will be used subject to technical feasibility to create a fortstyle memorial wall honouring the unitrsquos storied pastThe original 1908 Crime Branch building before demolition PicAshish RajeThe Crime Branch began functioning from the building on June 9 1909 when imperial police officer FA MH Vinscent took charge as the first Deputy Commissioner of Police CID Over the decades the stonewalled structure became the nerve centre of investigations into organised crime gang wars terror modules and major economic offences Generations of officers worked in its historic chambers cracking cases that shaped Mumbairsquos policing landscapeA senior IPS officer said the proposal to use the original stones at the Naigaon parade ground is still under evaluation ldquoWe need to assess how many stones can actually be reused Only after that will the concept move forwardrdquo the officer saidThe police commissioner has directed that the stones which stood witness to landmark interrogations and highprofile investigations be preserved with dignity If feasible they will be used to build a memorial wall designed like a fort gate or bastion to symbolise strength resilience and the enduring traditions of the Mumbai Police Once completed officials said the memorial will stand as a reminder that while old structures may fall the legacy of the force enduresThe demolished structure will be replaced by a modern sixstorey Crime Branch headquarters that will house all investigation units a stateoftheart CCTV monitoring centre a dedicated control room administrative offices and upgraded conference and interrogation rooms Until then all units will operate from the newly built administrative block inside the police commissionerrsquos compoundNew Crime Branch HQA new sixstorey headquarters will bring all specialised units under one roof featuring an advanced CCTV monitoring centre modern control room upgraded administrative divisions and stateoftheart conference and interrogation rooms Until construction is completed Crime Branch units will continue operating from the administrative block in the police commissionerrsquos compoundHistory of buildingThe Crime Branch building constructed in 1908 and operational from 1909 became a pivotal site for major investigations through the colonial and modern eras It handled cases ranging from the arrest of Lokmanya Tilak to the interrogation of Ajmal Kasab After 117 years of service it was declared unsafe in 2025 and subsequently demolishedMajor cases handledgtgt 2611 investigations including Ajmal Kasabrsquos interrogationgtgt Gulshan Kumar murder probegtgt Dawood Ibrahim and D Company operationsgtgt Chhota Rajan postextradition case analysisgtgt Abu Salem extortion and real estate syndicate probesgtgt IPL betting investigation