The Hindu : National : Inspector for a day: a little boy's dream comes true

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Wednesday, Nov 01, 2006
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Inspector for a day: a little boy's dream comes true

M. Srinivas

— PHOTO: P. V. Sivakumar

Mahak Kothari in office.

HYDERABAD: For eight-year-old Mahak Kothari who has been battling a life-threatening illness over a couple of years, it was a dream-come-true to "become" a police officer here on Tuesday. And for the Andhra Pradesh Police, it was a public relations exercise of the first order.

A beaming Mahak assumed charge as the Inspector of the Jubilee Hills police station at 4-30 p.m. and discharged duties for more than an hour in the presence of Inspector M. Srinivas Rao. The boy came to the police station in a police `Rakshak' vehicle after reporting to his `boss', Director-General of Police Swaranjit Sen, in his chambers.

When the Class 3 student strode into the `thana', clad in khaki with a toy pistol snuggled in the holster, the guards stood ramrod straight and saluted him. Policemen then presented a home guard, Rasheed, before him as a `thief', complete with handcuffs. "Chori kyon kiya (why did you commit a theft)?" the boy asked. When the `thief' did not respond, Mahak directed the constables to put him in the lock-up.

The unusual role-playing followed a chance intervention by volunteers of the Make-A-Wish-Foundation.

After inspecting the weapons, including .303 rifles and carbines, the boy interacted with the sub-inspectors and police constables and took stock of the law and order situation under the police station limits as the personnel stood in a line and listened to him in right earnest.

"Main gundonko khatham karke logon ko bachavunga (I will eliminate ruffians and protect people)," Mahak replied when Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Amit Garg quizzed him about his major responsibilities as a police officer — even as his parents Arun and Ranjitha witnessed the goings-on with tears in their eyes.

"We made the boy live his dream role of a police officer on humanitarian grounds. He was confidence personified and extremely happy interacting with our men and we too had a sense of satisfaction watching the boy do his job," the DCP smiled.

Foundation Programme Director C. Madhumathi said the boy explained his desire to become a cop when they met him at Apollo Hospital in Jubilee Hills a month ago.

And for Inspector Rao who swapped roles with Mahak, this was one gesture that gave him immense satisfaction.

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