08 December,2025 08:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Anish Patil
Demolition underway at the Mumbai Crime Branch building. Pic/By Special Arrangement
Demolished last week, the 117-year-old stone building that once housed the Mumbai Police Crime Branch will live on in a new form. Every reusable stone from the razed structure is being preserved with plans to construct a replica fortress-style memorial wall at the Naigaon Police Headquarters parade ground.
The structure, built in 1908 using Malad stone, had witnessed some of the biggest moments in the city's policing history, from the arrest of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in the pre-Independence era to the interrogation of 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab. Declared unsafe and beyond repair, the building has now been fully demolished.
Although the two-storey structure is gone and the site cleared for redevelopment, senior officials stressed that the legacy of the Crime Branch will not vanish with the rubble. The preserved stones will be used, subject to technical feasibility, to create a fort-style memorial wall honouring the unit's storied past.
The Crime Branch began functioning from the building on June 9, 1909, when imperial police officer FA MH Vinscent took charge as the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (CID). Over the decades, the stone-walled structure became the nerve centre of investigations into organised crime, gang wars, terror modules and major economic offences. Generations of officers worked in its historic chambers, cracking cases that shaped Mumbai's policing landscape.
A senior IPS officer said the proposal to use the original stones at the Naigaon parade ground is still under evaluation. "We need to assess how many stones can actually be reused. Only after that will the concept move forward," the officer said.
The police commissioner has directed that the stones, which stood witness to landmark interrogations and high-profile investigations, be preserved with dignity. If feasible, they will be used to build a memorial wall designed like a fort gate or bastion to symbolise strength, resilience and the enduring traditions of the Mumbai Police. Once completed, officials said, the memorial will stand as a reminder that while old structures may fall, the legacy of the force endures.
The demolished structure will be replaced by a modern six-storey Crime Branch headquarters that will house all investigation units, a state-of-the-art CCTV monitoring centre, a dedicated control room, administrative offices and upgraded conference and interrogation rooms. Until then, all units will operate from the newly built administrative block inside the police commissioner's compound.
New Crime Branch HQ
A new six-storey headquarters will bring all specialised units under one roof, featuring an advanced CCTV monitoring centre, modern control room, upgraded administrative divisions and state-of-the-art conference and interrogation rooms. Until construction is completed, Crime Branch units will continue operating from the administrative block in the police commissioner's compound.
History of building
The Crime Branch building, constructed in 1908 and operational from 1909, became a pivotal site for major investigations through the colonial and modern eras. It handled cases ranging from the arrest of Lokmanya Tilak to the interrogation of Ajmal Kasab. After 117 years of service, it was declared unsafe in 2025 and subsequently demolished.
Major cases handled
>> 26/11 investigations, including Ajmal Kasab's interrogation
>> Gulshan Kumar murder probe
>> Dawood Ibrahim and D Company operations
>> Chhota Rajan post-extradition case analysis
>> Abu Salem extortion and real estate syndicate probes
>> IPL betting investigation
