Sending the guilty to the gallows was the standard practice of punishment in pre-Independence India. Even the rulers and kings used to hand out punishment of death by hanging the convicts from gallows as a matter of deterrence for their subjects. One such gallows was also built in the premises of Bhadra Fort by Ahmed Shah.
The gallows were placed on the roof of Azam Khan's Sarai. Even today, if one reaches the roof of the Sarai from the back stairs of the fort, one can reach the hanging place and take a look at the remains. However, of the entire structure, what remains are only a few pieces of wood and a stage.
Ashutosh Bhatt, historian and city researcher, says that the gallows were built in the pre-Independence era by Ahmed Shah. "Whoever was given capital punishment by hanging was hanged from this gallows. An old tale goes that Ahmed Shah had convicted his son-in-law in a murder case and hanged him, amongst others, from this gallows," said Bhatt.
However, some historians do not believe in the existence of these gallows.
The practice of hanging was carried forward by the Britishers as well. However, after Independence it was discontinued and the gallows was then built in Sabarmati Jail. Since then, no accused has been hanged in public but only behind the closed doors of Sabarmati Jail.
