From cell to cafe: 140-year-old police station-turned-coffee shop in Meghalaya serves visitors in lockup
SOHRA: A 140-year-old police station in Meghalaya's Sohra has undergone a transformation into a trendy cafe, offering delectable and lip-smacking food to visitors at the world's wettest place.
Established in 1885, the Sohra police station's erstwhile building is the oldest such facility in Meghalaya, and it had been a dreaded detention centre during the British rule.
But now, 'Sohra 1885', or as the cafe is known, has become a hotspot for foodies and tourists. It offers a unique blend of history and hospitality, as the eatery allows visitors to have their favourite food in lockups turned into a dining area.
The profit made from the establishment is being given for police welfare.
All credit goes to the rank and file of the Meghalaya Police, who supported an idea pitched by East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem when he was a DSP in the area.
"I always wanted to do something with the heritage police station. There are not many such buildings left in the state that have so much of history," he told PTI.
"I pitched this idea when I was a DSP," he said, adding that he knew all along that this heritage site would attract a lot of visitors.
Soon after, the government started the process of constructing a new police station building to accommodate more personnel, the process of monetising the heritage police station also began.
"Monetisation meant extra income for the force and especially for police welfare activities," Syiem said, adding that two years ago a formal bidding process for the cafe began to finalise a partner for running the show.
The new partner, a young entrepreneur, proposed designs to match the heritage building and aptly named the cafe 'Sohra 1885'.
Nafi Nongrum, the business partner, refurbished the entire building using the British-era items from the old police station.
"We have converted the lockups into a dining area. The visitors are enjoying the ambience," she said.
The SP said the business partner has done a great job in restoring the old building, leaving the walls and floors as they were.
"Even the fireplace has been renovated to its old glory. The floors have been left to their original state as they are still in very good condition," Syiem said.
According to Nongrum, a 200 kg safe was also refurbished, repainted and polished.
He said the cafe has a seating capacity of 100 people.
Since its official inauguration on May 22, the cafe has become a new hit among the locals and visitors alike.
Batskhem Thabah, one of the patrons at the cafe, said, "We really enjoyed our time in the lockup which has been converted into a dining area."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
FTA sealed, UK's top diplomat in India on Saturday to prep for PM Starmer visit
NEW DELHI:UK foreign secretary David Lammy will visit India on Saturday to review bilateral relations, especially trade and strategic ties, with his counterpart S Jaishankar a month after the two countries finalised a free trade agreement (FTA). Lammy's trip will prepare the ground for a planned visit by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is expected to be in India in the near future for the formal signing of the FTA, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. Shortly after his arrival in New Delhi on Saturday morning for the visit, Lammy will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will then hold talks with Jaishankar to review the bilateral relationship. Lammy will also meet commerce minister Piyush Goyal late on Saturday before departing early on Sunday morning. On May 6, India and the UK clinched the FTA that is expected to boost Indian exports of textiles, leather and engineering goods and cut levies on British whisky, automobiles and medical devices. The deal between the world's fifth and sixth largest economies was finalised three years after Modi and his former British counterpart Boris Johnson set a target of concluding the FTA by October 2022. India and the UK are currently engaged in the legal scrubbing of the text of the FTA, a process that is expected to take about three months, the people said. Once this process is completed, it will pave the way for a visit by Starmer for the formal signing of the trade deal, the people said. Hours after India and the UK announced the finalisation of the trade deal, India launched targeted military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22. Lammy was among the world leaders who were engaged in efforts to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan before they halted military operations through an understanding on May 10. He was in frequent contact with the Indian government and spoke to Jaishankar on May 15. Lammy made a two-day visit to Islamabad from May 16 and welcomed the truce between India and Pakistan. He also asserted the importance of continued stability for the region. The hostilities had concerned the UK government as Britain has sizeable Indian and Pakistani diasporas. 'Ever since the horrendous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the UK has done all it can to play a supportive role to reduce tensions, get to a ceasefire and condemn terrorism,' Lammy said while in Islamabad. He described India and Pakistan as 'great friends to the UK' and said the UK is 'determined to play our part to counter terrorism and ensure this fragile ceasefire becomes a durable peace'. Ahead of Lammy's visit to New Delhi, India and the UK held their annual foreign office consultations and the first Strategic Exports and Technology Cooperation Dialogue on June 3. These discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, defence, counter-terrorism, green energy and health and measures to address export controls for enabling greater technology cooperation in strategic sectors.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Prince Harry ‘Feels Alone' In California With Meghan Markle, Misses UK Friends: Report
Last Updated: The Duke of Sussex is feeling 'desperately lonely,' largely cut off from longtime friends and family, and struggling to find meaningful companionship in California. Prince Harry may be living in a $14 million Italian-style mansion in California with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children but behind the gates life is far from idyllic for the former royal family member, it was reported. NewsNation reported, citing unnamed sources, the Duke of Sussex is feeling 'desperately lonely," largely cut off from longtime friends and family, and struggling to find meaningful companionship in California. 'He doesn't really have any real friends in the area except for polo star Nacho Figueras, and Nacho travels constantly for matches," a friend told the outlet, adding, 'He spends a lot of his time chilling with his bodyguards." Prince Harry is said to remain close with a few of his inner circle from the UK, including Guy Pelly and Mark Dyer but the distance and time zone differences make regular contact difficult. The source said as per the outlet, 'There's no one else for him to hang out with besides Nacho, Meghan, and the children." The UK royal's social circle has narrowed since stepping back from official duties and relocating to the US in 2020, the report claimed, citing a friend who said, 'It's hard to forge deep friendships when you're older especially when you're wary of people leaking things to the press." Another source compared Prince Harry's exile-like existence to that of his great-great-uncle Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne for love and lived out his days abroad with Wallis Simpson. 'It's like history is repeating itself," the friend said. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have remained in the public eye through Netflix deals, books and public appearances. Although behind the scenes, Prince Harry is also said to have been frustrated over delays in securing British passports for his children, Archie and Lilibet. 'Meghan wishes her husband could feel less burdened by the past and more present in the life they've built together," a source told People Magazine. First Published: June 06, 2025, 21:08 IST
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
UK watchdog pushes Amazon to rein in misleading product ratings: Know what happened
Amazon has pledged to step up its efforts in tackling fake reviews after reaching an agreement with the UK's competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The commitment follows a CMA investigation launched in 2021 to scrutinise whether major online platforms like Amazon and Google were adequately protecting consumers from misleading online ratings. The probe was prompted by the sharp rise in online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed widespread manipulation of product reviews. You may be interested in Under the agreement, Amazon has vowed to enhance its systems aimed at detecting and removing fake reviews. This includes clamping down on a practice known as "catalogue abuse", where sellers artificially boost the reputation of a product by linking it to positive reviews meant for entirely different items. The CMA highlighted a common example of this tactic: shoppers may see a pair of headphones with an impressive five-star rating, only to discover that the reviews actually refer to a mobile phone charger. Amazon will now take stronger action against those engaging in such deceptive practices, including banning businesses from selling on its platform and prohibiting users who repeatedly post fake reviews. Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, emphasised the significance of trustworthy reviews. 'Millions of people shop on Amazon, and star ratings and reviews play a crucial role in what they choose to buy. These undertakings mean shoppers can be more confident that what they see is genuine and that those trying to mislead them will face serious consequences,' she said. This move builds on a similar undertaking secured from Google earlier this year, as part of the CMA's wider effort to ensure online platforms take greater responsibility for protecting consumers. In a statement, Amazon reaffirmed its 'zero tolerance' stance on fake reviews and said the new measures complement its current initiatives. 'We invest substantial resources in preventing fake reviews from appearing in our store, including expert investigators and machine learning tools that analyse thousands of data points to detect suspicious activity,' the company stated. The new commitments apply specifically to Amazon's UK website and are intended to align the company more closely with British consumer protection laws.
