On 110th anniversary, Delhi’s Shahdara Police Station pays tribute to freedom fighters it once jailed

“On this momentous occasion, we pay tribute to all the freedom fighters who were detained, interrogated, and imprisoned at Shahdara Police Station. Their contributions, sacrifices, and the suffering they endured in the fight for India’s independence are immortalised in the annals of the station’s history,” said DCP (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam. “We also acknowledge the transformation that has occurred over the past 110 years, as the station has evolved to serve the needs of the community. Today, it stands not only as a symbol of resistance but also as a modern institution dedicated to protecting and serving the citizens of Delhi.”

The event was marked by food, music, and dancing, with Gautam and Additional CP (Eastern Range) Sagar Kalsi attending the festivities.

The station was established during the British Raj, with its jurisdiction spread over the Trans-Yamuna region of Delhi. DCP Gautam said, “The station became known for housing freedom fighters who were subjected to harsh conditions under British rule. Shahdara Police Station’s significance during India’s struggle for independence goes beyond mere detention. It became a symbol of the suffering endured by revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives for the nation’s freedom.”

In 2012, The Indian Express reported on 100-year-old documents from the police station being discovered after an inspector decided to rifle through the old and yellowed papers left behind in a corner. The documents contained police records and inspection reports concerning the Capital from 1914 to 1944, including many written, in his own hand, by Delhi’s first Chief of Police, D S Hadow.

These documents, which were handed over to the Delhi Police Museum for preservation, showed an uptick in cases once the freedom struggle, especially the Quit India Movement took hold. A Superintendent of Police in 1930 recorded the arrest of a group of Congress workers for shouting ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ slogans and for refusing to pay taxes during the Civil Disobedience Movement.

In 1942, policemen were struggling to contain the Quit India protests despite the imposition of Section 144. One document noted 23 people being convicted, while another mentions the arrest of a former teacher at Tilak High School.

Yet another documents the extra-judicial killing of three men who were shot by the police for trying to sabotage a railway line.

A month after the movement started in 1942, people were also arrested for giving ‘objectionable speeches’ in villages. A report contains the names of all those arrested for this.