Barely 1.4km from the historic Esplanade Mansion, which has been fighting a long battle to stay afloat, a small victory for Mumbai’s heritage movement was scripted on 17/1 Walchand Hirachand Marg. Yesterday, after a nearly nine-month-long restoration, Bazaar Gate Police Station DCP Zone –1, established in 1881, was inaugurated by Commissioner of Police Sanjay Barve, in the presence of several senior police officers including Abhishek Trimukhe, AIG DG Office, Manoj Sharma, Addl CP West and Naval Bajaj, Jt CP. Sangramsinh Nishandar, DCP Zone 1 (the restored police station) and his team specially welcomed their seniors and superiors to the restored police station.

Located in the Bora Bazaar precinct, and listed as a Grade III heritage structure, the space emerged after the demolition of the Fort walls in the 1860s by the Rampart Removal Committee. The police station, interestingly is older that its more popular landmarks in the neighbourhood – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and General Post Office. The repairs and restoration was courtesy the Kala Ghoda Association and architect Vikas Dilawari.