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Apathy and injustice did her in

Rajesh Nair

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

WOMAN POLICE: A bed-ridden Janu.

PONDICHERRY: Janu, who belonged to the first batch of women constables in the Union Territory, would have been a Superintendent of Police by now. Or, at least an Inspector like her other colleagues. Instead, she is out of service today because of a tragic incident.

On May 8, 1997, during the visit of the then Vice - President, K.R. Narayanan, Janu, a sub-inspector then, was the special officer in-charge of Mr. Narayanan's daughter's security. While waiting at the airport to receive the VIP, a 9-mm bullet accidentally triggered off from the pistol of an inspector hit her on the spine and made her a paralytic patient.

Delayed help

It is almost 10 years and Janu would be justified in feeling hard done by: All what she got, despite the support promised by the higher-ups and the then government, was the medical reimbursement and that too eight months after being discharged from a private hospital in Chennai.

Her husband, a government employee, has been trying hard for assistance to take Janu for follow-up treatment at two different private hospitals.

Three years ago, the government came with a proposal for giving Janu an invalid pension. But her family refused to accept it.

"Why should I take an invalid pension?" she asks, adding "I didn't become invalid because I got inflicted with some disease. The incident happened while I was on duty. It's the responsibility of the government to compensate al least for the mental agony I have been suffering. Only my higher-ups can answer why I was not rendered justice."

Ironically, Janu was the SI in-charge of the Police Family Welfare Association when the incident took place.

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