Public 'likes' cops' good deed on Facebook, so does DGP

Lucknow: They may be considered indifferent towards senior citizens, but this act of UP police won't be forgotten in a hurry. All it took was one social media post that went viral in 24 hours, presenting a more humane side of policing. The public response moved the DGP to felicitate his men.
Septuagenarian Sonwati went to the local police station to teach her family a lesson by filing a complaint against them.However, the compassion that the men in khaki displayed was enough for the old woman to forget the bitterness but stay there instead.
It's been two years since. When Sonwati had arrived at Bidhuna police station in Auraiya, she was tired and hungry. But it was March 2014 and policemen were busy preparing for Lok Sabha elections.
As she waited for someone to attend to her, Sonwati started venting at DySP Shiv Raj, then circle officer of Bidhuna, as soon as the two began talking. The officer immediately arranged for water and sweets for her.
"She discussed her family issues. She was hungry so we served her lunch. I can recollect that she was complaining about her son yet did not want us to reprimand him," said Shiv Raj who is now posted in Etawah district.
Sonwati is now his foster mother and whenever Shivraj visits Auraiya, he spends time with her. "We even tried to take the help of the village pradhan to convince and counsel her but she refuses to go back. Her family has never visited her. Due to old age, she also suffers from dementia," said Shivraj.
So for two years, policemen at Bidhuna PS have been looking after her who is too old and frail to even walk without support. Apart from providing her with food and shelter, they also arrange for sundry items like saris, slippers and toiletries.
Posted as station house officer of Bidhuna police station, Vikramjeet Singh said, "She cheers me up when I am low. She also doesn't miss a chance to pull up an errant policeman."
On Thursday, Shivraj had put a post on Facebook about Sonwati and his experience. And it went viral thereafter. DySP Rahul Srivastava, public relation officer of UP DGP, confirmed that the policemen who have gone out of their ways to support Sonwati would be rewarded by DGP Javeed Ahmed.