UP minister to rope in ASI to confirm ‘house of gallows’ at Ghaziabad Kotwali

Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad MLA and UP minister Atul Garg on Thursday directed police officers to open an old building at Ghanta Ghar Kotwali police station which allegedly

Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad MLA and UP minister Atul Garg on Thursday directed police officers to open an old building at Ghanta Ghar Kotwali police station which allegedly housed a facility to send freedom fighters to the gallows. Garg said the design and equipment found inside prima facie gave those indications, but he will rope in Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to carry out an inspection.

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The said building is housed at the premises of Ghanta Ghar Kotwali — the oldest police station in old Ghaziabad city. Garg said the Kotwali itself came into existence around 80-90 years ago, during the British rule.

“The building where I was told was a house where martyrs were sent to the gallows, had been locked for about 40-50 years and there was a lot of garbage and clutter surrounding it. The building also housed a sentry post over the roof. I got this information from the station house officer (SHO) about 10 days ago and decided that it should be opened up and looked into. When the jammed door was opened, the area inside is about five to seven metres diameter and comprises a well-shaped depression, around 8-10 feet deep,” Garg said.

“There were stairs and a hook tied to the roof. It is suspected that it could have been a house to send freedom fighters to gallows. It was smelling inside as well. However, to confirm this, I have decided to write to the ASI to find the antecedents of the building and provide us information whether it was used for the same purpose as we were told,” he added.

Kotwali SHO Laxman Verma said he received information from different people about the building.

“It was after a lot of scrap and unused items were removed from the backyard that we got to see the door. The inside structures of the building do not seem to be a well for drinking water as wells in olden days had a different design and were generally housed in open. The minister has told us that he will write to ASI officials at the earliest. Once the ASI gives a report we can get confirmation about the building,” he, added.

Apart from the minister, Loni MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar and district administration officials also reached the spot to find out more about the building.