Belagavi’s Hindalga Central Jail with rich history turns 100

Belagavi: Built by the British in 1923 to house the freedom fighters of the Indian freedom movement, Hindalga Central Jail in Belagavi is one of the biggest jails in the country. In many ways, this 100-year-old jail is part of our nation's history.
The jail, spread over around 99 acres at Hindalga on the outskirts of Belagavi, has the capacity of housing around 1,200 prisoners.
Moreover, it is the only jail in Karnataka where death-sentenced criminals are executed. However, in the past four decades, there has been no execution in this jail.
To maintain law and order, the British had to build a secure prison for freedom fighters and other criminals. During the non-cooperation movement and the Dandi March movement by Mahatma Gandhi, many aggrieved freedom fighters attacked the British government offices.
Along with picketing and displacing railway tracks, they also protested. During that period, several freedom fighters including Mylara Mahadevappa, Andanappa Doddameti, Mahadev Desai, Adavi Basappa, Annu Guruji, Venkosa Bhandage, Haldal Kotrappa, Tammaji Mirajakar, and Wali Channabasappa were kept in Hindalga jail.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was among the famed inmates of this jail. He was kept here for 100 days - from April 4, 1950, to July 13, 1950. Many locals have been demanding to install Savarkar’s statue in front of jail.
There are three gallows in the jail. The last person to be hanged in the jail was Hanumappa Mariyal from Gokak - on November 9, 1983. Before that, six people were hanged in 1976 and five in 1978.
The Hindalga jail houses several convicts sentenced to death, including four Veerappan gang members. Notorious rowdies including serial rapist and killer Umesh Reddy and suspected SIMI activists are also inmates of the same jail.
Jail sources say 27 inmates in the jail are facing death sentences. Many petitions are still before the courts, and some are before the President, seeking mercy from execution. Several movies were also shot in the Hindalga jail including the Kannada movie ‘Minchina Ota’ and Hindi movie ‘Mohra’ etc.