Cops get Rs 2000 each for risking lives

The police will give away a paltry Rs 2,000 each to the eight police control room (PCR) staff, including a woman constable, who had tried catching four suspected criminals by chasing down their sedan in three PCR vehicles. Karn Pratap Singh reports.

The police will give away a paltry Rs 2,000 each to the eight police control room (PCR) staff, including a woman constable, who had tried catching four suspected criminals by chasing down their sedan in three PCR vehicles.

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The police's staggering lack of generosity for its brave personnel comes after the Sunday incident during which two policemen, head constables Udaibhan and Satbir Singh, were injured.

Senior officers were, nevertheless, hopeful that the measly awards will encourage other acts of bravery.

"We have decided to encourage other Delhi police staff by giving a cash reward of Rs 2,000 each to the eight PCR personnel who were involved in the chase," TN Mohan, special commissioner of police (operations), said.

The policemen were hurt when the accused rammed two PCR vans with their car. One of the police vehicles overturned after hitting a road divider.

The chase went on for over a half-hour and covered 20km on outer Delhi roads.

This was the third incident in the past fortnight in outer Delhi involving policemen chasing criminals and firing at them. The police had earlier gunned down a criminal and arrested five others.

After a series of attacks on policemen by criminals, mainly by cattle lifters, roving police vehicles were armed with long-range weapons and instructed to fight fire with fire.

The sedan, which did not have a number plate, was first spotted by a police van around 3.20am in Prem Nagar.

The policemen asked the car to stop but its driver refused to pay heed and turned his vehicle towards Karala.

"The message about the suspicious car was flashed on wireless sets. The same vehicle was spotted by another police vehicle, which tried to chase it down but overturned," said an officer.