Tata Trusts to set up Maharashtra's 1st police museum in Mumbai

MUMBAI: The first police museum in the city and the state will be sponsored and set up by Tata Trusts, the country's oldest foundation. This is perhaps the first time a philanthropic organization is backing such a project.
The museum, which will come up at the police commissioner's office headquarters in Crawford Market, will have on display rare artefacts and documents of the Mumbai police force that came into being in 1864. Tata Trusts will conserve and archive all the relics and records.

The museum will occupy six rooms and a corridor on the ground floor of the old heritage building that is already under renovation, said police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar. "It is expected to be set up in two years and will be open for all. The final designs are almost ready. The museum timing and charges are yet to be decided," he added.

Tata Trusts refused to reveal the amount it will spend on the project, which also includes training police volunteers in conservation and archiving practices.

Padsalgikar said, "The museum will house artefacts divided into two eras. The first starts from 1864 when the first police commissioner of Bombay Sir Frank H Souter assumed charge. The second starts from 1947 when India got Independence."

"The exhibits will be rare photographs, uniforms worn by officers down the years, weapons and criminal memorabilia includes weapons, mallets, massacre hatchets and revolvers. Rare photographs with chronology of Mumbai Police's history will be displayed in a special gallery. "We are consulting several architects and professionals like those from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya," he said.

Tata Trusts, which owns two-thirds of Tata Sons, the holding company of the $100-billion Tata Group, has been involved in restoration of Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and Quli Qutb Shah Archaelogical Park in Hyderabad. tnn