Poet-police officer, wife parent five homeless children in MP
Madan Mohan Samar, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, has picked up five homeless children to raise and educate them.
Madan Mohan Samar, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, has picked up five homeless children to raise and educate them.

The 53-year-old poet-police officer and father of two children, Harsh and Astha, is a combination of toughness and compassion.
While his name causes fear among criminals, he showers love and affection on his children including those he has picked up from streets.
He says he has, in fact, been blessed with seven children: Harsh, Astha, Hema, Ritu, Shraddha, Aman, and Chitra.
Regarding how he met them, he says, “In 1998, I was posted at Tirla area of Dhar district. On a winter day, I saw a ten-month-old baby girl lying unconscious in a cluster of thorny shrubs. I rushed her to a hospital. I wanted to adopt her, but couldn’t, as I have two children. She was handed over to a person who got her married while she was still minor. Similar thing happened to a tribal boy, Ankur. When I wanted to adopt him, I was told that I can’t.”
“I and my wife Sarita saw Ritu lying by the roadside in a village near Multai in 2012. We brought her home. My wife took care of her, and Ritu came to be known as my daughter. After superintendent of police Lalit Shakyawar met Ritu, he told everyone to take care of one such kid,” says Samar.
He says, “Then we went to a government school where the teacher introduced Shraddha, a student of class 2, to us. She had two siblings, Hema in class 8 and Aman in class 3. Their mother had no income, so they depended on the midday meal. We decided to take care of them. Chitra, called Jhamlo, came to us in 2014. Gradually, these children became part of my life.”
Hema is studying at Multai College, and Chitra who is in class 12 in MLB School lives in the school hostel. While Aman is in class 7 at Bharat Bharti School in Jamthi, Ritu is in class 7. She lives with Samar.
“I and Sarita visit their hostels regularly. When they pass school exams with flying colours, I feel very proud,” he says.
The DSP who also writes poems says, “I began to compose poems when I was 14. I take part in ‘Kavi Sammellans’ (meet of poets), and have been invited to Thailand and New York.”
Samar, who has also penned short stories and satires, is working on a novel. Active in social media, Samar says, “I nabbed criminals and promoted traffic rules through it.”
Regarding the relationship those five kids share with his own children, Samar says, “Both Harsh and Astha love them. While Harsh is working in film industry, Astha is studying in JJ School of Arts. During summer holidays this year, they organised a tour for these kids to Mumbai. I couldn’t do all that without the support of my wife and children.”
His wife says, “My house gets abuzz with the antics of children during summer holidays. Do come and enjoy it.”