Karnataka   

A historical prison finds a new use

landmark: The old district jail in Chitradurga.

After a new district jail was constructed on the outskirts of Chitradurga, the seven-decade-old district jail, which has been part of history from the days of the freedom struggle has remained empty for nearly nine months.

According to jail authorities, a proposal has been submitted to the government seeking approval to handover the age-old building to the district administration to be used for a public purpose.

Built in 1938 at the meagre cost of Rs. 48,000, the district jail was earlier called the Chittadurga District Lockup.

It was constructed only to keep detainees and undertrials. After conviction, the inmates were shifted either to Bellary or Bangalore jails. This small jail could house only 37 inmates. It has four barracks of which one is meant for women prisoners.

“During the freedom movement, the jail was the site of brutality towards freedom fighters by British officers,” said Chidanandappa, a freedom fighter. Many persons were arrested and lodged in the jail in 1942 during the Quit India Movement, said the octogenarian.

“I have not spent time in this jail, but several of my contemporaries such as Hullur Srinivas Jois, Pehelwan Nanjappa, Vasudeva Rao and Gopal Ayyengar were lodged here. Even notorious criminals like Jetteppa were kept in the jail,” he said.

Over the years, the jail became too small to lodge an increasing number of prisoners.

Now after the construction of new jail, plans are afoot to convert the old jail for purposeful use. “We are waiting for the Government to hand over the jail to the district administration, so that we could set up a women’s hostel and an old age home in it,” said Deputy Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas.

FIROZ ROZINDAR IN CHITRADURGA

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