Hyderabad marked the reopening of the historic 125-year-old Kotwal House, a building that once served as the old Hyderabad Police Commissioner’s Office. Minister Ponnam Prabhakar led the ceremony on Wednesday, celebrating the restoration of this colonial-era structure which had been neglected for years. The event also saw the opening of new Kalapather, Chatrinaka, and Shalibanda police stations.
After the ceremony, Minister Prabhakar toured the refurbished building and praised those involved in reviving the Purani Haveli site. Hyderabad City Police Commissioner CV Anand highlighted the building’s past as a police headquarters from 1920 to 2002, and its near-demolition four years ago due to a collapsed roof.
The restoration was made possible by Chalamalasetty Anil Kumar, Director of Ace Urban Developers Pvt. Limited and Greenko Group, who funded the project. Work began in December 2022, with CV Anand emphasizing the challenges of restoring historic sites. Architect Mir Barkatullah Khan was recognized for his outstanding work on the project.
The Hyderabad City Kotwal will now have a designated space in the renovated building. The current Police Commissioner’s Office is located at ICCC, Banjara Hills Road No. 12. Moving forward, Commissioner Anand will meet the public on Fridays at The Kotwal House, once a week at the Basheerbagh office, and on other days at Banjara Hills.
The event was attended by notable figures like MPs Mandadi Anil Kumar Yadav, Asaduddin Owaisi, MLCs Mirza Riyaz Ul Hassan Effendi, Mirza Rahmath Baig, and MLAs Mir Zulfiqar Ali and Mohd Mubeen. Additional attendees included Addl. CP Crimes P Vishwa Prasad, Joint CP Traffic D Joel Davis, DCP South Zone Sneha Mehra, Director of Vigilance and Enforcement AR Srinivas, and MD Police Housing Corporation M Ramesh Reddy.
