Posted on 04/12/2006 11:08:17 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick
MUMBAI: Sheila Bhosle, a 34-year-old woman constable, put her male counterparts to shame on Tuesday when while on patrol duty at Malad she disarmed a gun-toting former criminal. She displayed enormous pluck and courage when she jumped onto her motorbike and chased the fleeing crook.
She eventually caught him, thrashed him soundly, and then confiscated his gun. The man turned out to be an ex-convict, who had earlier been booked for murder by the Byculla police.
"It all happened within minutes. I was on bandobast duty for Eid near a mosque at Pathanwadi from 8 am. The area, which falls in Kurar village, is communally sensitive and we were told to keep vigil. Being a woman constable, I was to ensure that women weren’t jostled or eve-teased,’’ Bhosle told TOI .
Around 11.55 am, a speeding biker, riding in the direction of the mosque, rammed into a woman who was crossing the road. The woman fell down and hurt her leg badly. A crowd gathered at the spot and demanded that the biker pay for her medication.
"The biker had a pillion rider with him, who escaped in the melee. Before we could reach near the crowd, the biker pulled out a revolver and started threatening the crowd.
There was slight panic and some of the people started running.We tried to catch hold of the man but we only had lathis with us,’’ she said.
The biker dumped his Pulsar and fled into a bylane close to the mosque. "I had brought my Honda Activa bike along and parked it nearby, planning to rush home straight after duty. This man had a gun on him and could go on a shooting spree.When I saw him fleeing, I realised the only way to bring him to book was to chase him on a two-wheeler,’’ she added.
Taking a male colleague along, a saree-clad Bhosle got onto her bike and gave chase through the tiny bylanes of Kurar. "Several residents were outside since it was a holiday and we had to dodge kids and clothesline, before we caught up with him. While my colleague pinned him down, I snatched his gun and gave him a good thrashing. He looked barely 22-23 years old," Bhosle said.
The two then took the man to the police station where he was identified as Rahul Survade alias Rohit Sharma. He told the police that he was a Reay Road resident. He had earlier been arrested on a murder charge by the Byculla police and was out on parole. Police are investigating if the bike used by Survade was stolen. He has been handed over to the Dindoshi police for further investigations.
Bhosle, a resident of Malad, has been in the force for 16 years. When TOI asked her how she felt about her achievement, Bhosle only said, "I was only doing my job."
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And just what the heck is a gun toting "former criminal" That phrase seems a bit oxymoromic to me.
Reading this article it was clear that we weren't in Kansas anymore... This Times of India article is just full of fascinating and unusual vocabulary (to me, at least) - bandobast, eve-teased, pillion, lathis, bylane. Plus it's always refreshing to hear a police officer admit that they gave a suspect a good 'thrashing'...
And she gave pursuit on her own vehicle. I guess that is what "displaying enormous pluck" means.
They usually do try to find their way back to the nest.
Let's get her a job with the INS. Maybe somebody with some (ahem)balls can start enforcing the law.
Dirty Harriet?
I don't think Hindus see Mosques as their "nest." The fleeing criminal's name is Hindu and there is no reason to suspect he is Muslim.
MRs. LC is Half- Indian- Her Dad is from Bangalore. Don't EVER get her angry!
LC
I sensed that, and I am also in the bandwagon. Just clearing out information, just in case you didn't know. It is like saying a fleeing son of a Rabbi was seen near a Mosque and people think he is looking for shelter. Humorous by itself, though.
I'm probably a little more familiar with ways of the sub-continent, Hindu culture and even the Nepalese military than you might think....;-)
He seemed to be more of a recovering criminal who fell off his bike.
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