Mohitjikumar32 at 11:04, 15 September 2025

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{{Short description|Former prison in India}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}

{{Infobox prison
| prison_name = Madras Central Prison
| image = [[File:Chennai Central jail.jpg|250px]]
| caption = A section of the Madras Central Prison before demolition in 2009
| location = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| coordinates = {{coord|13.07974|80.272915|display=inline}}
| status = Demolished
| classification =
| capacity =
| population =
| populationdate =
| opened = 1837
| closed = 2009
| managed_by =
| director =
}}
'''Madras Central Prison''' was one of the oldest prisons in India. It was located in [[Chennai]] (formerly Madras) in the [[India]]n state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. It became operational during the [[British Raj]] period. The prisoners held there were moved to the newly constructed [[Puzhal Central Prison]] starting in 2006, with the 172-year-old prison being demolished in June 2009.<ref>{{cite news|title=150-yr-old Central prison closed for good|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/150-yr-old_Central_prison_closed_for_good/articleshow/4003254.cms|work=Times of India|date=19 January 2009|access-date=26 June 2009}}</ref>

==History==
Madras Central Prison was one of the oldest prisons in India. It was started during [[British Raj|British rule]] in 1837. It was initially called the Madras penitentiary until 1855 when it was renamed to Central Jail.<ref>{{cite news|title= Prison building demolition proposal forwarded to government|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/20/stories/2009012059220400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129072818/http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/20/stories/2009012059220400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 January 2009|date=20 January 2009|work= [[The Hindu]]|access-date=26 June 2009}}</ref> It was originally built to house transit convicts who were to face the 'sazay-e-kaala paani' in [[Cellular Jail]] in [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] and constructed at the cost of Rs 16,496 on {{convert|11|acre|m2}} of land.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chennai set to lose a slice of its history|url=http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?title=Chennai%20set%20to%20lose%20a%20slice%20of%20its%20history&artid=k4TwrJGSpIU=&type=|publisher=Express Buzz|date=20 June 2009|access-date=26 June 2009}}</ref>

It is said that the call for independence found its echo more in the [[Madras Presidency]] than elsewhere in the [[Princely state|princely States]]. Many of those freedom fighters were arrested and lodged here; it is said a few of them died in custody.<ref name="demolished1"/>

There were 1,778 prisoners in the prison as of January 2002, of which 500 required to be produced in different courts in Chennai and mofussil (rural) areas including Tiruchi, Madurai, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli.<ref name = "Prisionersdetail">{{cite news
| last = Subramani
| first = A.
| title = Chennai Central Prison officials in a fix
| location = Chennai
| date = 20 January 2002
| url = http://hindu.com/2002/01/21/stories/2002012101740400.htm
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130126045111/http://hindu.com/2002/01/21/stories/2002012101740400.htm
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 26 January 2013
| newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
| access-date = 14 November 2012}}</ref>

== Notable prisoners ==
[[Image:Corridors of central jail.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Abandoned corridors of the Madras Central Prison pictured in 2009]]
The prison housed [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] during the days of independence movement. [[C. N. Annadurai]], former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and leader of [[Dravidian Movement]] was housed here for his [[Anti Hindi agitations]].<ref name="demolished1">{{cite news|title=After 172 years, Madras Central Prison sent to the gallows|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/after-172-years-madras-central-prison-sent/424858/|work=Indian Express|date=18 February 2009|access-date=26 June 2009}}</ref> The prison also housed former [[List of Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu|Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu]], [[M. Karunanidhi]] and chief minister of Tamil Nadu [[J. Jayalalithaa]] during the trial involving corruption cases.<ref>{{cite news|title=Central prison to become history|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/central-prison-become-history-964|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218163604/http://deccanchronicle.com/chennai/central-prison-become-history-964|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 February 2009|work=Deccan Chronicle|date=20 January 2009|access-date=26 June 2009}}</ref> Also, several international figures, including [[LTTE]] chief [[Velupillai Prabhakaran]], [[Maoist]] leader of Nepal, [[Chandra Prakash Gajurel]] were imprisoned here.<ref name="demolished1"/>

==1999 riots==
In 1999, some of the inmates rioted following the death of an inmate named [[Boxer Vadivelu]]. They set fire to a room where the assistant warden had taken refuge. Riot police were called in to contain the riots; the police initially used tear gas to quell the rioters, before resorting to live ammunition. In the battle which ensued between the inmates and the riot police, 10 people, including a prison official, were killed, while more than 100 people were injured.<ref>{{cite news|title=Inquiry into Madras prison riot|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/526394.stm|publisher=BBC|date=18 November 1999|access-date=26 June 2009|work=BBC News}}</ref>

==Relocation==
The Madras Central prisoners were relocated to [[Puzhal Central Prison]] in [[Puzhal]] in 2006 and the vacant property was handed over to [[Chennai Metro|Chennai Metro Rail Limited]] (CMRL) for revenue augmentation purpose in 2008. The cost of the {{convert|13|acre|m2|adj=on}} land was estimated conservatively at Rs. 4.75 billion.<ref>{{cite news|title= Chennai Metro Rail Ltd to develop prison land near Park Station|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2008/02/28/stories/2008022850350300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315203738/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2008/02/28/stories/2008022850350300.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=15 March 2008|work=The Hindu|date=28 February 2008|access-date=26 June 2009}}</ref> Demolition of the buildings began on 14 June 2009.<ref>{{cite news|title=Demolition of Central Jail begins|url=http://www.dinamani.com/edition/story.aspx?SectionName=Chennai&artid=75065&SectionID=97&MainSectionID=97&SEO=&Title=|publisher=Dina Mani|date=17 June 2009|access-date=26 June 2009}}</ref>

==New buildings for Madras Medical College==
In 2010, a new campus with a six-storeyed building for Madras Medical College was built on a land covering 325,000 sq ft on the prison premises and was completed in 2012 at a cost of {{INR}} 566.3 million. The campus will have nearly 1,250 students and 400 faculty and staff members.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Lakshmi
| first = K.
| title = Skywalk between GH, new MMC campus proposed for easy connectivity
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| date = 29 May 2013
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/skywalk-between-gh-new-mmc-campus-proposed-for-easy-connectivity/article4761454.ece
| access-date = 30 June 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|India|Law}}
* [[Architecture of Chennai]]
* [[Heritage structures in Chennai]]

==References==
{{Reflist|33em}}

{{Chennai Topics}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1837]]
[[Category:Prisons in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Defunct prisons in India]]
[[Category:History of Chennai]]
[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 2009]]
[[Category:Prisons completed in the 1830s]]

Madras Central Prison - Revision history

Mohitjikumar32 at 11:04, 15 September 2025