Museum

The  aim was to give the trainees  object lessons and to  acquaint them with  the appearances and uses of such articles which  they  were likely to  come  across during the course of investigations of cases. Sanction for setting up the museum was received from the Punjab Government vide their circular No. 10/235,  dated 24^th July, 1901 and instructions were issued by the Inspector General  of  Police, Punjab through his letter  No. 3626,  dated  12^th August, 1901 addressed  to all District Superintendents of Police directing that all  articles  having educational value seized in criminal cases should be sent to the School  after the  case  had been disposed off.

The museum thus came into being in 1901 and continued to grow with the active assistance of District Superintendents of Police, in the Punjab , N.W.F.P. (West Pakistan), the neigh bouring princely states of the Punjab, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, North-Western Railway (now Northern Railway) and the  Delhi State. This assistance though now limited by the Punjab and the States affiliated with it for training purposes still continue. However, all concerned are reminded each year to keep on enriching the museum with articles of interest and educative value.

In the ‘Museum’ on display are some old  Police  records in urdu script  of  the sixties of the last  century which furnish a cleaning of the Police working of those days. Besides, there are some  rare  and  old fire -arms,  match locks  and  a numerous variety of  weapon of offence like daggers, swords,  spears, barchas, chhavis, belchas, clasp-knife, gupties, iron  shod, dangs, takwas,  kokhries  etc. Various implements of counterfeiting coins and currency notes like moulds, dies, crucibles, inks, paper rollers, pads, printing material etc & tools  of burglary and thefts i.e. Sandhewas, kurakis, false key iron bars to  force  open  doors, rods used to make holes in walls etc. Indian and foreign counterfeited  currency notes and coins, old coins,  an improvised cannon (used for terrorizing and demoralizing the public during the partition  riots of 1947), unwieldy  iron  chains and fetters used for human torture, implements of gaming and betting, shoes  of various patterns used in the district in the pre-partition  days  of Punjab,  string woven chappals as used in neighboring hill areas, uniform articles of  the U.P. Police, armed, executive and  traffic  Police,  various other devices and equipments used by pilfering etc. and poisons are on display.

Visual acquaintance with and  brief explanation of the above mentioned articles along with increase in the  awareness of the above mentioned  articles  obviously increases the awareness of the  trainees, who visit the museum in  groups , as well as that of visitors to the museum. The prevention and detection work done by the police in the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province (West Pakistan)  and other places serves as a visual aid for their correct appreciation.

Not only the reconstruction of crimes is presented showing the preparatory work leading up to the crime, but a brief commentary which fully  illustrates the  factual and legal issues involved in the case is exhibited side by side.

The  museum is housed in a  spacious  room  in  the Fort  and the  collections comprise about  500 exhibits  which  are  arranged  by period  and by  subject matter in the following sections.