New Delhi: A “mysterious” tunnel, that leads to the Red Fort, was discovered in the Delhi Assembly recently and preparations are now being made to open it to the general public, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel announced on Friday.
Presently, its history is not fully known, but it is being estimated that the tunnel was used during the British times for movement of political prisoners.
With renovation works underway, it is expected that the tunnel will be opened for the general public by January 26 or August 15, 2022.
Addressing media, Goel said: “When I came here as an MLA in 1993, I got to know about a tunnel. Since then I asked to collect information on it but much details could not be gathered at that time.”
“We are constantly trying to find out the old history so that it can be passed on to the common people,” he added.
According to the Speaker, the then Britisher rulers, had in 1926, turned the premises of the present Assembly, into a court, wherein freedom fighters, kept in the Red Fort, were brought through this tunnel.
He also mentioned a ‘Phansi ghar’ (hanging chamber) was inside the premises, wherein freedom fighters, sentenced to death, were executed.
“As the hanging house was lying closed for a long time, the renovation works there are underway,” the Speaker said.
“Meanwhile, some lights have been installed inside the tunnel and it is also a bit difficult to find out how far the tunnel can go,” Goel said, adding that due to the sewer and the Metro related works, it is apprehended that the tunnel would have collapsed.
“For now, the mouth of the tunnel has been opened and soon tourists will get an opportunity to become aware of some unheard aspects of history,” he added.