Hyderabad: The 125-year-old ‘The Kotwal House’, also historically known as the old Hyderabad Police Commissioner’s Office, was officially reopened on Wednesday by Hyderabad in-charge minister Ponnam Prabhakar. The colonial-era building, which had remained unused and in a dilapidated state for many years, has been brought back to its former glory after extensive renovation work. The minister also inaugurated the newly constructed Kalapather and Chatrinaka traffic police stations, along with the new Shalibanda police station buildings.

Following the inauguration, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar conducted a thorough inspection of the building. He extended his wishes and congratulated everyone who contributed to bringing the Purani Haveli building back into use and restoring its historical grandeur.

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner CV Anand stated that the building previously served as the Police Commissioner’s office and was known as ‘The Kotwal House’, functioning as the police headquarters from 1920 to 2002. He noted that the Purani Haveli building holds significant historical importance in Hyderabad, and it was even considered for demolition four years ago after its roof collapsed.

However, CV Anand explained that with a desire to preserve the city’s history, Chalamalasetty Anil Kumar, Director, Ace Urban Developers Pvt. Limited, Greenko Group, and Group CEO & MD, stepped forward to finance the entire restoration cost. The restoration work commenced in December 2022, and the Commissioner emphasised that restoring old structures requires immense patience.

CV Anand praised Mir Barkatullah Khan, an Architect from Deccan Terrain Agencies, for doing an excellent job. He announced that from now on, the Hyderabad City Kotwal will have a dedicated place to sit when visiting the old city.

The Hyderabad Police Commissioner’s office currently operates from the ICCC building on Banjara Hills, Road No. 12. The Commissioner announced that, moving forward, he will be available to the public one day a week, on Friday, from ‘The Kotwal House’ in Purani Haveli, one day from the Basheerbagh office, and on the remaining days from the Banjara Hills office.

MPs Mandadi Anil Kumar Yadav, Asaduddin Owaisi, MLCs Mirza Riyaz Ul Hassan Effendi and Mirza RahmathBaig, MLAs Mir Zulfiqar Ali (Charminar), Mohd Mubeen (Bahadurpura), Addl. CP, Crimes P Vishwa Prasad, Joint CP, Traffic D Joel Davis, DCP, South Zone Sneha Mehra, Director of Vigilance and Enforcement AR Srinivas, MD, Police Housing Corporation M Ramesh Reddy, and other officers were present at the event.