Yesterday I had to visit the Police Station on some social work. While we were there we watched a couple of complainants rushing into register their complaints.
One lady came around 6.30 p.m. escorted by her colony welfare association Secretary and his wife, a tired elderly lady.
The converstion went like this..
The complainant was sadly indicated her handbag and muttered ,
“ Poyindhi sir.. Dabbu poyyindi ( Money is gone sir.)
Inspector: ”where are you from?”
“ Nearby colony sir.”
“How did the money go?”
“I boarded a bus near Paradise sir.. Tow ladies were near me, the Bus was crowded”
“were was the money?”
She indicated the handbag. It was a grey shiny bag, pretty unimpressive with many zips.
:In the purse sir..See sir This she tore and took my purse..”
One side of the bag. and the zip was open..
“When was this”
“At 5 p.m. .. I got down from the bus and went home and found the money missing”
“I called the Secretary and he brought me here for FIR”
“What else was there”
“ Cheque book and some papers”
“How much money”
“Twenty thousand”
“What.. You went in a crowded bus with so much money? Where do you work? “
“LIC agent sor, I brought Post office interest for my clients”
” And how come you did not go by auto”
“My Karma only.. I usually go by auto Two women were near by me.. They were touching my neck. .So I held on to my Thali and my bag was on the shoulders.”
“ How come you let he bag at the back.. You should have put it in front. “
“ Yes sir, those tow ladies were falling over me ..”
“ Madam, you saved your chain and lost your purse.. When in a crowded bus , you should hold on to bag in front of you”
“ Yes sir.. ‘’ Sad faced and crestfallen.. the lady looked tired and harassed. She knew it was her fault to let those women get the better of her..
Where do you live?
The Secretary.. “ Sir in nearby colony sir, I live in front of her house Sir.. You know our colony..”
“ yes yes..”
“We have two guys manning our gates sir. As per your suggestion, we do night patrolling sir..”
“ But having guys sit in front of the gate is not enough .. Will the thief come and enter through the gate? He will scale walls.. You better raise those compound walls near the Cemetery!”
“Yes sir. “
The Secretary tried his best in PR , his wife watching him with tired eyes..
By then our sympathy was with everyone including the Inspector..:-)
Inspector :” Amma. When you carry cash you should travel by auto..
This is a lonely area, so when you board auto in day time too.. you should be careful..
Go the front of the auto and in the full view of the driver write down his number and then sit inside. Night time don’t travel alone. If the auto driver has two guys in the driver seat don’t engage that auto..”
I can register compliant, but you don’t even have description of the ladies who followed you..”
“Yes Sir they were wearing fully covered dress in black!”
“ What is your husband doing? Can we call him..”
“No sir, he is already harassed on First of the month . He is cashier in Bank . I wont tense him up now I will tell him when he comes home.. “ It does not matter now, I will be careful next time”..
She left after thanking the Inspector, and the Secretary too thanked him and made goodwill gesture and went .
We felt sad for that lady who lost 20000 and said it is my Karma. She looked so sucker like anyone would get encouraged to rob her. She just accepted the suggestion that money wont come back and what is use of FIR in this small case. She blamed her Karma and went away.
”
