A Cop Walks Down Memory Lane...!

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A Cop Walks Down Memory Lane...!

Author:

K. Manickavasagam

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Table of Contents

1. THE LOGICAL QUESTIONS RAISED BY FIVE GERMANS IN INDIA...!

2. A TERROR FISH CAUGHT IN POLICE-NET…!!!

3. TRUE LOVE NEVER FAILS...!!!

4. THE HOLY BURGLAR...!!!

5. IT WAS NOT A SARDARJI JOKE, BUT A SENSE OF TOUCH TO FEEL...!

6. AN UNETHICAL LOVE THAT CREATED PITY...!

7. WE CAUGHT A HORROR SEA-FISH...!!!

8. SIN TO A GIRL WOULD LEAVE NONE...!

9. WOW…! A FAT CAT WAS CHASED BY A LITTLE MOUSE…!!!

10. THE CAT CAME OUT FROM THE BAG AT THE END…!!!

11. CATTLE-WAR BY HUMANS…!!!

12. STEEP RISE AND DOWNFALL OF A COP WHO ARRESTED SRI SANKARACHARIYAR...!

13. AN ULTIMATE WEAPON OF AN AGGRIEVED HUSBAND...!

14. WALL-POSTER LEADERS TAKE THE LEAD IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF OUR POLITICS...!

15. COINCIDENCE IS GOD'S WAY OF REMAINING ANONYMOUS...!!!

16. HA! HA! GUNMEN SOMETIMES FIRE FUN ALSO…!!

17. ASSAULT ON A DISTRICT COLLECTOR…!!!

18. BROTHERLY AFFECTION MISTAKEN FOR INFIDELITY…!!!

19. FOOD, OFFERED IN MERCY, BROUGHT OUT TRUTH…!

20. SINLESS SOUL WOULD NEVER DIE...! BUT LOOK FOR REPRISAL…!!

21. OOPS! CRIMINALS MAKE INROADS INTO POLICE FORCE...!

22. UNMATCHABLE BRIDE, MISMATCHED GROOM AND WELL-MATCHED LOVER...!

23. GHOSTS ENTERED INTO A SPIRITUAL ABODE…!!!

24. UNSOLVED MYSTERY RESOLVED IN ANOTHER MYSTERY!

25. DIRTY GIRLS ARE ALWAYS AT RISKS!

26. A SMALL SPARK, FIRST DETECTED IN DELTA, DETONATED THE MASSIVE TRUTH AT THE TOP...!!!

27. IMAGE PLAYS VITAL ROLE IN POLICE FORCE!

28. ASSAULT ON A DISTRICT SP...!!!

29. THE KILLER-SQUAD MIRACULOUSLY ESCAPED INTO THE DEEP SEA!

30. OUCH! OUR VOTERS ARE CRACK-BRAINED...!

31. LUST MAKES EVEN A MOUSE INTO A MONSTER…!

32. PLATONIC LOVE THAT RUINED A LOVABLE FAMILY…!!!

33. DETAINED MEN WERE AT LAST HONOURED!

34. CHOPPED HAND TRAVELLED AROUND THE TOWN…!!!

35. AN UNSUNG HERO…!!!

36. DISSOLUTE TERROR OFFICERS WOULD BE TERRORISED ONE DAY...!

37. AN IPS OFFICER'S HONESTY WITH HUMANITY..!

38. A CASE OF NOVEL BANK FRAUD…!!!

39. BEWARE OF LAND GRABBERS…!!!

40. A MISERABLE THEFT OF A NEW BORN BABY..!

41. A POLICE INSPECTOR'S UNHAPPY NEW YEAR…!!!

42. WOW…! COLLECTOR'S BUNGALOW TOO WAS NOT SPARED FROM BEING GRABBED…!!!

43. MIDNIGHT ARREST OF A NEWS-REPORTER BACK-FIRED…!!!

44. TOUGH IPS OFFICERS TOO SOMETIMES DANCE TO THE POLITICAL TUNES…!

45. BE CAUTIOUS WHILE JAILING A MAN WHO IS UNDER THE INFLUENCE...!!!

46. DYING MEN WOULD NEVER LIE - THE DICTUM IS NOW DYING...!

47. ADOLESCENT STAGE IN GIRLS - AN ACID TEST FOR PARENTS…!!!

48. 'LUCK' - AN INVISIBLE FACTOR THAT RULES THE POLICE FORCE!

49. THE CRAZY DECISION OF A TRENDY GIRL LANDED EVERY ONE IN TROUBLE!

50. ALAS! MISSED MAN … BECAME EVER MISSED…!! AND NEVER RETURNED…!!!

51. NONE COULD FOOL THE SCIENCE...!

52. SENIOR OFFICERS TOO SOMETIMES ACT LIKE THENALI RAMAN...!

53. ALAS! THE 'AYUDHA POOJA' DAY THAT FIXED EVERYONE IN TEARS…!!!

54. HOW THE REVENGERS ARE BORN AND RAISED IN THE SOCIETY...!

55. LIVING-TOGETHER CULTURE WOULD TURN NELSON'S EYE ON RELATIONSHIPS...!

DEDICATION

This Book is dedicated to all the FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF OUR COUNTRY who shed their blood and sacrificed their precious lives in the struggle for Indian Independence.

***

DISCLAIMER

The events, characters and locations, which are depicted in this book in good faith of communicating moral and social messages to all the common people, besides leaving ethical lessons to all the Cops, are based on the essence of certain circumstances. I do not intend to hurt the sentiments of any Individual, Community, Sect, or Religion. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. The author is in no way responsible for any such coincidence,

***

FOREWORD

Justice S. Ratnavel Pandian

Ihave been profoundly touched by the contents of the very first paragraph of the preface of this book that sends a strong message to every citizen. Yes! as this author has said in his preface, it is true that all the memories of a man, whether it might be of heart-warming or heart-breaking, should exist ever leaving valuable inputs, learning points to his successors and the common people, so as to learn the morals and realise the things as to how the problems are raised, and how the same could be solved. The author's narrative style of his writings throughout the book is really exemplary with a flavour of literary taste. I am so happy that a police officer has acquired that much of talents in beautifully narrating the stories and satirical articles from his past experiences. I appreciate the author, K.Manickavasagam, Dy. Superintendent of Police (Retd.), for having quoted the relevant provisions of law at the appropriate places of his episodes in this book, so as to match the bottom line of every story. I wish the book, A Cop Walks Down Memory Lane...!, authored by K.Manickavasagam, to attain all the success, and to become lessons to all his successors in police force in future.

YOURS

JUSTICE S. RATNAVEL PANDIAN

About the Book

Su. THIRUNNAVUKKARASAR, M.A., B.L.,

(Former Minister – State and Central Goverments)

The Author K. Manickavasagam, a police officer of high repute, my friend, known to me for so many years and who has also served as police officer in my constituency Aranthangi, is an erudite scholar of astounding energy and ingenuity and possesses an extraordinary, enviable and enjoyable repository of memory from which he has recollected and presented this fascinating and kaleidoscopic narrative. This is superb, gloriously detailed and a brilliant and beautifully balanced book. It is impeccably told. The author marshals the facts and figures objectively and presents them brilliantly.

This narrative is full of facts but appears to be full of fictions.

Now I believe, after reading this book, that facts are definitely stranger than fictions.

To cite a few instances,

His timely stitch in saving Elizabeth's life, thus establishing the fact that True Love never fails.

How he providentially and unexpectedly tumbled upon a member of Rajiv Gandhi's killers squad.

How Pseudo-godmen could not escape the jaws of the laws.

How coquetry and flirtation could ruin even well natured, decent families.

How shrews are tamed by taming the person who instigated them by giving false hopes.

He also provides comic relief while narrating how a mentally deranged man was treated as a terrorist by the police.

These are all facts, nothing but facts, but look like fictions.

This book, containing such similar events, is written lucidly with unobtrusively readable prose, combining academic rigor with the readability of a thriller. This book of a peripatetic police officer keeps things going at an excellent pace.

This will be useful to the people of all walks of life, being an eye-opener to know how these policemen are fighting against heavy odds, to protect the lives and belongings of the public. Again, this book, a bundle of erudition and experience will be of immense use to the budding police officers. There is a message in each and every chapter.

I wish the book 'A COP WALKS DOWN MEMORY LANE' a great success.

- Su. Thirunnavukkarasar

JUSTICE S. NAGAMUTHU

Judge (retd), Madras High Court.

The Tamil Nadu Police, in my perception, is in no way inferior to any other Police in the world. But, like any other institution, it also has some short comings and bitter experiences. Though we applaud this Department for it has maintained uninterrupted law and order, and has allowed the people to live in peace for more than seven decades, it is disturbed by the growing number of crimes in recent times, We, the people, with diverse culture, are much worried and strongly expect more and more from the police to ensure absolute peace and harmony among the people. The Constitution, which we have given to ourselves, the vibrant document, assures a peaceful and dignified life to every citizen of this Nation. Undoubtedly, it is largely in the hands of the Police to reassure. Unless we have efficient and honest men in the Police Force, these guaranteed rights will remain only on paper. One such efficient and honest police officer, whom I know intimately for more than three decades, is the author of this book Mr.K.Manickavasagam.

In my farewell address to him on his demitting office, I spoke a lot about him. I also expressed that he should record his rich experience and share his thoughts as a Police Officer for the benefit of the upcoming generation to emulate. He has done it perfectly. This is not the end, but a beginning only. His writings reflect his depth of knowledge of law, the minute intricacies of investigation of crimes and deep common sense and above all, his enormous inclination to serve for the cause of the people. One thin line of expectation of him, I found from his writings, is that the police need more and more cooperation of the people. At Last, in the court of law, the offenders are to be punished on proof of guilt beyond reasonable doubts. Without the people volunteering to come forward to give evidence and to tell the truth, Police can't prove the guilt by gimmicks. With the limited cooperation of the people, Police Officers, like Mr.Manickavasagam, struggle to do the best. But in the process, at times, the real culprits break the net and escape from the clutches of law. I am constrained to share the anxiety of Mr.Manickavasagam to get full support of the people in every endeavor of the police.

The Author has a great skill of writing. His vocabulary is explicit in this book. His knowledge on world affairs is enormously vast. His concern for the common man, more particularly for the poor, is appreciable. His interaction with the common man is beneficial to the society at large. His life is full of events, both forgettable and unforgettable. The reflection of the same in this book is sure of benefitting the younger generation. I profusely congratulate him.

Mahatma said, The real freedom would stand achieved only when the tears from the eyes of every poor is wiped off. Yes, we are yet to achieve the kind of freedom that Mahatma desired to have. We try. The journey goes on. I am in the march. Mr.K. Manickavasagam, an intimate friend, will pilot me in the march.

YOURS,

JUSTICE S. NAGAMUTHU

FOREWORD

A.G. PON MANICKAVEL IPS,

Inspector General of Police,

Tamil Nadu, India.

Iknow the author of this book, Mr.K.Manickavasagam, as a good cop of 1979 batch in Tamil Nadu Police Service. At the first moment, just on seeing the title of this book, A Cop walks down memory lane! I thought that it might be in the form of a police officer's biography, eulogizing the achievements of police department alone. But, on the contrary, when I read the book, I became immensely happy that the author, who had served in the police force for 33 years and above, has beautifully sculptured the various past notable occurrences into fifty five episodes, with the mixed flavours of crime thriller, love, fun, suspense, anti-corruption, legal issues, forensic theories, and satire on social injustices.

The author has poetically portrayed the protagonists of the stories to suit the atmosphere and situation of the characters, before introducing such interesting characters in each episode. I could see the traditional storywriter's professional touch throughout this book. I really appreciate him for having recollected all those past occurrences that happened during his service, and carved out the same into the mind-blowing anecdotes.

While narrating the occurrences, the author has beautifully added spicy touches at the appropriate places of the each episode to pep up his stories. The author maintains suspense of every story till the end, and finally makes a filmic open of the suspense at the end of the every episode with a beautiful social message at its bottom. I am sure that the readers of this book would be undoubtedly enthralled, since the author has beautifully portrayed all the episodes with theatrical thrills and suspense and concluded the same with lovely messages at the end.

Other than the short stories, the author has also written few satirical articles, with humorous taste, on some social injustices. I believe that the readers of this book would enjoy its contents, and the writing style of the author. For example, in the episode number-3, the author has beautifully blended the two different occurrences, of which one had occurred in 1990 and the other in 1998, and formulated the same into a beautiful love story with an ethical message at the end. Likewise, he has attractively composed a short story in an episode about the war-like occurrence that occured between two different villages in 1981. Same kind of curious and thought-provoking trend continues right from the first episode to the last episode. Yes! Reading of this book, A Cop Walks Down Memory lane...!, authored by K.Manickavasagam, created the interesting visual images of fifty-five episodes in me.

K.Manickavasagam, Dy.Supdt.of Police (Retd), has proved the famous quote, No matter how far we travel, the memories should follow in the baggage car..! of Mr.August Vollmer, the father of American Policing, the pioneer of police professionalism, the first police chief of Berkley, California, and a leading personality in the development of the field of criminal justice in the United States in the early 20th century. I wish the book, A Cop walks down memory lane...! to win over the hearts of all the common public and to earn laurels from the people of all the lifestyles.

- A.G. PON MANICKAVEL IPS

PREFACE

All the memories of a man in his life, whether it might be of heart-warming or heart-breaking, should not go buried along with his last breath, but should leave some inputs to his family members, relatives and friends to make them aware of his past life track for their future guidance. At the same time, if the same man happens to be a person who had served in any public service organization, then his memories should not go vanished away along with his soul. However, such memories should necessarily leave a lesson to his successors and all the common public to learn the morals and to realize the things, as to how the problems are raised in societies and how the same could be prevented.

Unlike the other departmental officials of the government services, the police officials would not have an opportunity of second innings to continue their services in any other sector after their retirement, as the police service is entirely different from other services of the governing bodies, like technical, educational, medical, and commercial services. Because of this, most of the retired police officials would feel themselves isolated and spend the remaining part of their lifetime in a lackadaisical manner.

Under such circumstances, it is my son Arulmurugan, and my daughter Sivasakthi, who are now living respectively in Michigan and Arizona States of USA, have suggested me to write some useful articles in blog, a kind of website, to share my thoughts in good faith with hundreds and thousands of readers over the months and years. My children's encouragement and guidance empowered me to enter into such blog-writings and publish the same in my blog site.

As far as the police department is concerned in olden days, our traditional practice was to write everything manually by our own hand for all kinds of script works until the police department was modernized. As I had been accustomed for a long time only to such manual writings, I gradually learned the system related works and started to login into my blog site and write the articles directly in my blog after my superannuation. Initially, I was writing on some social issues in my blog. Then, a spark came in my mind as to why should not I write short stories in my blog, based on the cruxes of some past occurrences that came across in my police service.

Since I had been in the regular habit of preparing my case diaries and the investigation reports in my own handwriting throughout my service, it was easy for me to recollect some past occurrences and shape up the same in the form of short stories, adding some spicy essence to pep up the style of writing. While writing such short stories, I shaped up the same with an object of giving some moral messages, thrill, fun, and some social thoughts to every reader, without touching the sentiments of anyone. The names of the characters in the short stories and the articles have been changed. I have spent almost all the days, after my superannuation, in writing fifty-five episodes, most of which are short stories and few are satirical article to poke fun at some social evils and injustice, with a narrative style of a professional storyteller.

I have to thank my spouse Mrs.Suseela for having stood by me all along my life time and in every possible way to complete this project successfully, withstanding all my occupational hazards, which would be usually seen among all the police men in view of facing tough duties and anguish atmospheres in their police job.

I would like to thank my son Arulmurugan, daughter-in-law Divya, grand children Ananya and Aadhav, who are now living in Grand Rapids City, Michigan State in USA for morally supporting me to publish the same in the form of beautiful book. I would also like to thank my son-in-law Thirumurugan, daughter Sivasakthi, grand children Mrinalini and Kavinharish, who are now living in Phoenix City, Arizona State in USA, for their moral support towards this social project.

I would like to dedicate my great thanks to all the Stalwarts of the essential public services from various fields for having glorified this Book with their high-sounding Forewords. I would like to express my thanks to Dr.Subash Chandra Bose, PhD for his brotherly affection in the task of compiling this book. I also express my lovable thanks to Mr.R.Kathir Meera, Annam Akaram Thanjavur for his beautiful publication, and to Mr.Ashok Kumar for his lovely DTP works.

At this moment, I would like to make a self-explanation. Yes! Some may think as to why this Policeman has written this book in English. First, I would like to state that I love my mother tongue Tamil, the most ancient of all other languages. Anyhow, I had a little passion of learning one more language in addition to my mother tongue, because of which, I had a brief interest in grooming the English language in me. I have written this book in English with an idea of conveying my short stories and thoughts to all the people irrespective of linguistic variations and regional differences.

I would like to thank all the Judicial Officers, Public Prosecutors, and all the Advocate-friends for having guided me whenever any legal issues arose during the course of investigation and prosecution of criminal cases. I would also like to thank all my Senior Officers, under whom I had served in the Police Department for a long period more than thirty-three years, for having shaped me as a professional police man throughout my service in various branches and in various districts.

I would also like to thank all other Policemen and Officers, irrespective of ranks who had served along with me, for having extended their co-operation to me in fulfilling my dedicated service to all the people. I also express my lovable thanks to all my batch-mates of Khaki-79 and all my friends for their moral support in completing this task. Above all, I am indebted to my parents, Karuppaiyathevar (Freedom Fighter) and Mangalam Ammal, for having given a good soul to me. Before concluding this preface, I pray my Family Deity, Sri Madurai Veeran Swamy, to bestow His abundant blessings to all and save our people and our Country from all evils and anti-social elements.

- K.Manickavasagam

Dy.Superintendent of Police (Retd)

1. THE LOGICAL QUESTIONS RAISED BY FIVE GERMANS IN INDIA...!

JANUARY 5, 2013 · 12:28 PM

It happened around 1991. I was the sub-inspector of police in Thanjavur town west police station in Thanjavur District. I was looking into the station routine works around eleven o' clock in the morning on a beautiful sunny day. There was a huge gathering of people, encircling five foreign nationals, hurriedly approaching the police station with threatening voices, and hurly-burly activities. I immediately looked into it, besides asking my policemen to form a ring around the stormy crowd to avoid any untoward instances. The entire crowd, numbering about 50 locals, was in so agitated mood, shouting rough, and tumble slogans against those five foreign nationals who were seen in different dress code contrary to their foreign origin. Despite those intimidating slogans, all those five foreign nationals were found not at all afraid of such ferocious crowd, but found bravely walking in the middle of the crowd towards the police station.

First, I pacified the agitating local crowd and secluded all the five foreign nationals from their custody. My preliminary enquiry revealed that the agitating crowd belonged to a Dravidian movement. One among the crowd was the town secretary of the concerned Dravidian movement, whose party office was located on the main road nearby the police station. All the five foreign nationals were from German country. However, on the contrary, Thilak of sandals, sacred ashes, and 'kum-kum' were adorning their fore heads. They were also wearing some kinds of Thulasimaalai as garlands around their neck. They did not wear any shirts or pants, but they were found wearing 'Panchakatcham' around their waist and Shawl around their well-built body. As the Hinduism attracted them, they had come to India under proper passport and visa to visit all the temples and other pilgrim centers in India. They had been touring TamilNadu for about ten days on pilgrimage.

The complaint of the agitating crowd was that while they were sitting in their party office in the morning around ten o' clock, all the five Germans who were walking on the road suddenly jumped on the wall-poster, bearing the photo of the founder-leader of their party and tore away their leader's photo into pieces within a fraction of seconds. On seeing their unexpected rebellious activities, all the party volunteers available in their office gathered there and pulled them away from the wall-poster and warned them severely not to damage their party poster. Even after their extreme warning, the Germans did not realize their wrong and further attempted to tear away the photo of their founder-leader. As the party volunteers became so wild, the town secretary of the party brought all the five foreign nationals to the nearby police station in order to prevent any further clash. The town secretary of that party presented a complaint against those five foreign nationals.

I isolated all the five foreign nationals from the agitating crowd in order to save them from their wrath. I asked the agitating crowd to be calm and directed them to get dispersed. When I questioned the foreign nationals for their revolting act, the answer given by them was so stunning everyone in the police station. Without feeling any guilty, all the five Germans spoke in high tone: Hi, everybody, we are all from German country. As we were attracted in Hinduism and its religious culture, we came to India to learn Hinduism and visit all the temples and pilgrim centers in India. For the past ten days, we have been touring across the state of TamilNadu. Wherever we went to the temples, we first saw the inscriptions of Anti-God slogans under the statue of Mr.E.V.Ramasamy Naicker, because of which we were mentally disturbed. This day morning, when we saw the Anti-God slogans here under the photo of Mr.E.V.Ramasamy Naicker, our emotion at once burst in to action, resulting in the tearing of wall poster! But, we did not have any other motive or intention against anyone.

Since they happened to be the foreign nationals, I explained everything to them and asked them to show their passports and visa for perusal. Their travel documents and other related records were in order. I interpreted the Germans that they had committed a crime of wantonly giving provocation to others with intent to cause riot, by tearing the poster, bearing their party slogans and their party leader's photo. The Germans immediately shot out a counter question in a perplexed mood: Don't you think that they have also wantonly given provocation to the God-Worshippers, by inscribing such provoking anti-god slogans in all the public places, road junctions and in front of Temples in public view? We are happy to see the statue of such senior leader. Let them have any number of statues as they like. The statue offends no one. But, what made them and who authorized them to inscribe such offensive anti-god slogans in such public places so as to affect the sentiments of the God-Worshippers? Do the anti-god slogans not wound the God-Worshippers? What was said to have happened to them by our action, the same was also happened to us by their action! All the five Germans well built in physique and each one with a height of 6 feet vehemently fired many questions in louder voice before all.

In fact, I had no answer for it. However, I politely told them in firm voice: Law differs from country to country. As far as India is concerned, freedom of speech has been given to every citizen of our country and such fundamental rights have been enshrined in our constitutional law. Therefore, no one can find fault with such anti-slogans, either as offensive or illegal in India.

Even after informing this convincing legal status, all the five Germans did not get composed, but constantly argued with me that in their country, if anyone was found propagating such anti-god slogans in public places, such propagators would only be first arrested and prosecuted by their police.

I politely but firmly advised the Germans that as long as they were in India, they had to follow only the Indian law and that they could not take their German law for your defence in India. Realizing the situation and the legal status, they all became normal and came out with a request: There was no other criminal intention for our acts. Without knowing the existing law in India, and due to the sudden outburst of our emotion on seeing the anti-god slogans, we just jumped up on the wall poster and tore off it from the wall, as it contained anti-god slogans. Forgive our unintentional act and permit us to continue our pilgrimage...! Under such circumstances, I looked at the complainant and his agitating party people, as the ball was in their court to decide on the request of Germans. Though the agitating mood of the party men had de-escalated, they were not ready to forgive the Germans.

Hence, a case was booked against those five Germans under section 153 IPC (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot). On the same day itself, all the five Germans were produced before the Judicial Magistrate, Thanjavur, along with the charge sheet. All the five Germans admitted their guilty before the Magistrate. The Magistrate observed the facts and circumstances of the case. Considering the mitigating circumstances, the Judicial Magistrate convicted and fined them each to pay the fine amount of Rs-1000 for the offence under section 153 IPC.

All those five Germans paid the fine amount and left the court to continue their further pilgrimage. While leaving the court, they came towards me and diplomatically put a question to me:Please, tell us, to whom we have to make a complaint for the mental pain and mental agony, we suffered from those wilful anti-god propaganda and such provoking inscriptions of anti-god slogans as, God-Worshippers are Barbarians...! God Worshipping is Foolishness...! and No God...! which were found framed everywhere, in front of every leading Temples, in all the road junctions, and in every nook and cranny, and wherever we went to any temple for pilgrimage purpose!

Due to my professional ethics, I was not able to answer them, as I had become dumbfounded for a moment, though there was some logic in their question!

2. A TERROR FISH CAUGHT IN POLICE-NET…!!!

JANUARY 15, 2013 · 3:31 PM

It all happened in 2001. The first rays of the glowing Sun were gradually appearing on the beautiful Earth and activating the people in to their routine livelihood for the day in the east coastal area in Thanjavur District. So suddenly and so surprisingly, the District Police Head Quarters wireless mike was screaming with alarming voices of a police man from a coastal police station that attracted the attention of almost all the senior police officers of the district and range offices in Thanjavur town.

The police man of the coastal police station was hurriedly passing on an information in trembling voices with jitteriness:Control..Control…!! All other mikes stand by. Base Control..., Base Control…, this is the Adhirampattinam police station from the East Coast calling the Base Control.. We have caught a terrorist here..!! He appears to be a Pakistani..!! We caught him near the sea shore of Bay of Bengal…!! He is so tall, wearing a long dress like north Indian model Pyjama..! He appears to be so adamant and does not co-operate with local police for enquiry. We need more strength and assistance from the district head quarters…!!! Matter Most Urgent…Most Urgent..!! Over….Over..!!!

Realizing the danger-signaling situation, all other police mikes in the district became mute and pin drop silence was maintained in the District VHF net work system in order to pave a way for such urgent and sensitive communication. After a few minutes, the senior police officer of Thanjavur Range, located in Chozha-Historic territory, came on the police mike and spoke out in commanding voice: Yeah…! I am mike nine calling the district SP. You, take down my instructions and act swiftly at once. Send six sections of Armed Reserve police men with three A.K.47 Guns, in addition to the usual weapons already supplied to the local police station in East Coast. You send my striking force right now. I am proceeding to that spot. You also rush up to that spot with your striking force. No more delay must be there. You got it...! Over and Out...! From that moment onwards, the entire district was activated in full swing of effective policing with beats… patrols… vehicle checks and lodge checks.

On that day, around twelve o' clock in the mid night, I was in the head quarter police station, located in Thanjavur town east gate, writing some case diaries, after attending the night patrolling duty. During such odd hours, screeching sounds of big convoy of vehicles boomed in front of the police station. I rushed out to the entrance of the police station in curiosity. The senior police officer who came out of his red-light revolving police vehicle, called his next lower level senior police officer to his near and gave some instructions in hush-hush voice: Yeah..! You see! He appears to be so adamant and inflexible. We tried our level best to extract some factors from him at the place of capture in the East Coast police station itself right from the morning to early night. He did not open his mouth, but maintained the same rigid posture until last. We could not extract any facts from him, as to which terrorist group he belongs to, and where from he has come here and for what purpose he has come to the coastal area. The coastal police station in East Coast is not suitable place for interrogating this kind of adamant radical youth, as it is located in very remote area from the district head quarters. That is why, he has been brought to the head quarter police station for safe custody and skillful interrogation purpose. Therefore, please, see that the police guard from the Armed Reserve police is posted to this radical youth round the clock. If any intelligence staff comes to meet him, check up their identity and allow them inside..!! You got my points...? Okay! Take care…! The senior officer left the station after entrusting the responsibility to his next ranked officer.

The next ranked senior officer and other police officers swung into action at once. Four sections of Armed Reserve policemen, armed with A.K.47 Guns, cordoned the police vehicle that was parked just in front of the police station. The vehicle door was cautiously opened. A tall, but slim man, aged about 35 years, wearing a north Indian designed long sized 'pyjama', with Islamic stylish beard, alighted from the police vehicle, flanked by two armed police personnel. Soon after getting down from the vehicle, he looked up on the sky for few seconds and then scanned on all sides with expressionless gaze, as if he assessed the strength of the police personnel posted around him. He was taken in to the police station with full protection and kept in the interrogation room. The Armed sentry, from the District Armed Reserve police, was posted in alert position in front of the interrogation room.

From that moment onwards, various branches of police personnel started swarming the interrogation-room. The local CID police, serially followed by the Q branch CID, state SBCID, Crack intelligence CID, and all other central intelligence agencies visited the interrogation-room and fired out series of questions, under the different style and the different viewpoints of the respective CID branches, against the terrorist. For all the series of questions, hurled by the various branches of CID, his answer was only a flat expressionless look on the roof and floor. His long pyjama was appeared to have been washed some weeks ago. As he was found hungry, sufficient food was given to him. Even after providing food in sufficient quantity, the terrorist was found in the same eerie mood. The police station was so busy due to the never-ending visits of various branches of CID officers for the whole night.

Next day morning, since I happened to be the station house officer of the concerned head quarter town police station, I visited the premises of the police station as usual. The guard police personnel, posted for the terrorist, were found so fatigued. When I looked the terrorist, he was lying on the floor. I noticed a deep-scar around his right ankle. On closley observing his deep scar, fresh markings with most recent bruises, resembling that of an impression of fettering with chain around his ankle was found. I awakened him and provided a cup of tea. He gulped it and looked for one more cup. It was also offered. Now, he started blinking oddly. As the entire police personnel became so exhausted, due to the non-stop shooting of questions against the terrorist, the early morning hours was so free to study his both physical and mental attitude. When I asked his name and address, he groaned in an unclear language, but repeated a particular word as, Aangaar..!Aangaar..!!(Aangaar means fire in Hindi), simultaneously pointing out his fettering-scar on his ankle. I could not elicit anything more from him.

I came back to my room in confusion. The paperboy delivered the newspaper of that day, along with the weekly magazine at my office. While looking into the weekly magazine, I saw some big size photos relating to the very sensitive and major fire accident that took place a few days before in Erwadi-Dharka, wherein so many mentally challenged patients, actually fettered in Erwadi Dharka in good faith for curing purpose, were burnt alive. Honourable High Court had condemned the fire accident, and directed the Dharka authorities to unfetter all such mentally challenged patients in order to save them from such hazardous emergency atmosphere, and to protect them properly. Therefore, the remaining mental patients who had been already fettered in Erwadi Dharka were unfettered. On hearing the news, some loving family members came to Dharka and took care most of those patients, but few reluctant family members disowned some patients.

On reading the news, an idea clicked in me, as it coincided with the factors observed in the attitude of the so-called terrorist. I ran towards the interrogation- room and showed the photos of the Erwadi Dharka fire accidents to his view. Just on seeing those photos of the Dharka fire-accident, the so-called terrorist became panic-stricken, started weeping like a baby, and shrank back in horror. He could not maintain eye contact with anyone. His further neurotic activities indicated a notion, from which it was ascertained that he was not at all a terrorist, but a mentally deranged man. I communicated these newly detected factors to my senior officer, who gave hush-hush instructions in respect of the so-called terrorist to his higher authority. Thereafter, the so-called terrorist was produced before a psychiatric specialist to ascertain the truth. The doctor immediately subjected the so-called terrorist for medical test. Finally, it was ascertained. Yes! It was at last medically proved that he was an acute patient of schizophrenia.

Further enquiries were quickly held in this regard with the sources relating to the Erwadi-Dharka. It revealed that most of the mentally deranged patients would be usually brought to Erwadi-Dharka by their relatives from various parts our country, irrespective of religion, including Hindus. It was further revealed that those mentally deranged patients would be customarily fettered with long chains within the premises of Erwadi Dharka, under a traditional and ritual belief that such patients would be sentimentally cured by some supernatural powers prevailing in Erwadi Dharka.

The enquiries further disclosed that some mentally deranged patients from the states of North India would also be usually brought to Erwadi Dharka for such 'holy-treatment' (?) of fettering with chains in the premises of Dharka. It divulged further that in the major accidental fire, broken out some days back in Erwadi-Dharka on a spur of the moment, some of the fettered mentally deranged patients were burnt alive, some fettered patients themselves escaped away in that melee and became absconding, some fortunately escaped unhurt in the fire accident, and they were later entrusted to their relatives. It was eventually proved that the fish, caught in the police net, was not at all a terrorist, but of a pitiable comic fish. Since the so-called terrorist was at last found to be a Schizophrenic patient, necessary arrangements were made at once to admit him in the hospital for medical treatment to his lunacy. Information was given to his relatives to take care of him in the hospital. The terrorist phobia was at last amicably disposed of.

After a few days, again the police wireless mike, so suddenly and so surprisingly, started screaming the same kind of alarming voices. However, this time, it was from another police station of the northern end of the district limit, telling that a suspicious man, appeared to be of a terrorist, was caught by the local police at some vulnerable point in the district border line. This time also, our senior officer rushed up at once along with the Armed Police Force to the spot to grill the terrorist. Oh! my goodness, it was none other than the same pitiable comic fish again caught in the police net of another jurisdiction for interrogation purpose. Subsequently, it became known that the same schizophrenic patient again had run away from the medical treatment and wandered around the borderline area of the other end in the same District. However, this time the senior officer did not give any hush-hush instructions to anyone. Instead, he himself slapped on his head and shouted on the captors for giving such hasty and unverified information. Again, the mentally deranged patient was sent for medical treatment in a hospital under the care of his relatives who were found so reluctant in admitting such a schizophrenic patient in their family. The message behind this article is that, under some abnormal circumstances, now and again, such pitiable comic fishes would also be