The iconic Mumbai police commissioner's building is set to be restored soon and the Mumbai police museum will be inaugurated on the ground floor of the building. The 120-year-old South Bombay structure is undergoing major repairs and restoration for the first time, however, its original structure and shape will be retained.
According to police, the structure of the office building has developed some cracks on the walls and roof's plaster. The rooms and wiring of the building need to be upgraded. A conference room will also be set up on the ground floor where the control room had earlier been located.
Work on the ground floor has already begun in the first phase of restoration. "The proposal for the same was sent to the Public Works Department(PWD) recently and after approval, work has begun on the ground floor of the building and eventually we will end up restoring the second floor of the building," a senior police officer said adding that they hope it would be complete by the end of the year.
The Mumbai Police art museum on the ground floor will be replacing what used to be the house of three DCPs.
The museum will showcase the history of Mumbai police, along with several uniforms used by them over the past century. It will also have old photographs, letters of Mahatma Gandhi written to the then Mumbai Police chief, and will feature several other curios.
Earlier, the museum was located just behind the current Mumbai police commissioner's office which did not attract much footfall as visitors would have to go thorough a security check.
"The current plan is to situate it on the ground floor as that way it will attract more visitors. It will be open to all unlike the old one," said Police historian Deepak Rao.
