City's oldest police stn saved from the hammer

CHENNAI: It began with a modest force of 13 to guard Madraspatnam in the 1650s, but now the Chennai city police can boast of a modern 14,000-strong force. Standing testimony to the change undergone by Chennai police is a glorious 118-year-old red structure, located on Wallajah Road off the Anna Salai junction - the city's oldest police station.
The building, which now serves as the Triplicane police station and has stood the test of time for over a century, would have fallen victim to the hammer and faded into history like several heritage structures in the city but for the timely intervention of chief minister M Karunanidhi.
As the structure was located on the fringes of the Omandurar Government Estate, where a modern assembly and secretariat complex is coming up, officials planned to demolish it to construct a reception centre. On learning about it, Karunanidhi instructed the officials not to demolish the building but give it a fresh lease of life by renovating it, sources in the Public Works Department said.
Chennai commissioner T Rajendran said the old structure was a symbol of the history of the police force - its transformation from modest origins to a formidable force. "The decision has come as a major relief as the police station is located at a vital junction through which political and religious processions pass," he said.