A Thank you Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi was nick named Crane Bedi because she introduced the use of crane- lifting system to remove unwanted and wrongly parked vehicles in the capital city of New Delhi. In the country where satis are still worshiped, and women are forced to cover their faces (ghunghat) and go out in burqua, a beautiful girl in short hair-cut, with attractive waist-line, not too tall, appeared as if from nowhere, in a top-rank Police Officer’s uniform at the administrative services of India. Would you believe that this lady had not only captured the attention of the country but also collected the highest university degree Ph.D., and went to the United Nations, HQ., New York, as the top security officer of the world organizations.

But she is the High Priest of Indian Motherhood, ney, the inspiration of the women’s lib. Movement. An excellent law and order enforcement authority, Kiran Bedi is also a good social scientist, a popular author, and we are truly proud of this great woman police officer of India who has dedicated her life to service to society.

I knew nothing about Kiran Bedi, except that she was the Crane Bedi, and that she was forcefully transferred to be the Chief Jail Superintendent of the biggest prison in the country Tihar Jail, New Delhi. I was therefore surprised to see a messenger from her office knocking at my door, with a letter from the Tihar prison. The story is like this.

A young Tibetan student was arrested by the Delhi Police for stealing cars on the new year’s night and imprisoned in the Tihar Jail. On the fateful day he was visiting his friends in Delhi and went to celebrate the New Year’s Eve. Late night as he was returning from the dancing club, he went behind a parked car to urinate, and was caught by a police man who asked him to arrange a cash one lakh ( 100,000) as the New Year gift for the capital city’s Police Force.

How many lakhs gift was to be collected from the innocent citizens for the welfare of corrupt officers comforts – no one knows. But that was night when rich kids were indulging and dancing and boozing with lots of black money floating from the homes of the newly rich of India. And the Police gang did not want to miss the chance. After all it is they who had to keep the night vigil to keep the peace and security of citizens by staying awake in the cold winter night.

But the young man could not arrange the cash. In fact he was supposed to be in a boarding of the college in Jaipur. He was dragged to the police station where a retired army captain appeared with some tools. A charge sheet was made out with the tools found in his possession, and the captain was witness whose car the boy was trying to steal.

The young man belonged to a cultured family, was supposed to be in Jaipur but was caught dancing in Delhi. So he did not dare to phone his father who was in Gangtok (Sikkim) to arrange the cash.

The Tibetan boy was in Tihar Jail learning the tricks of the trade from the host of professional pimps, prostitutes, and killers. A few days passed in praying to the Dalai Lama but with no avail. That morning the Chief Jailor was taking the routine round of her flocks inside the prison. She noticed this brightly shinning Chinese looking face among the familiar weather worn Indians.

“What are you for-in here?” Enquired the Jailer thinking that Indian intelligence police had caught a foreign agent as the new year’s gift.

The kid burst in tears and spoke in good English, “I am Indian from Sikkim. I am innocent, Mam, they framed me. Mam.”
“Do you know anyone in Delhi – relative or friend?”
“Yes, a friend of my father, is professor at JNU, we call him Uncle.”
“Come and see me in my office.” Kiran consoled him.

A police officer from Tihar Jail came to me with a letter that I could visit the prisoner on Wednesday, during the visiting hours. On the appointed hour I was conducted to a big cage like enclosure – literally it was a big cage – in which about 20-30 prisoners were released . That was my first experience. The visitors were shouting and trying to locate their relative prisoner through the iron grills of the cage. Every one shouting to attract the attention of his inmate in the crowded enclosure.

Having located my prisoner, I briefed him that the next day when the prison doctor comes around, you should suffer acute stomach ache. Thereafter you would be shifted to a hospital and thereafter we would take care of you.

I informed the family in Sikkim, and my Engineer friend flew in angry with the kid. I convinced him of the boy’s innocence. All of us went to see the patient in the hospital where the handcuffs were hanging with the bed side. But the patient could not be sent back since he was kept under medical observation while we took up the matter with higher authorities.

Inspector General of Police gave us a patient hearing and at once concurred: “It was a trap. Boy is innocent..” All the charges were dropped and the false files were destroyed.

We collected the young man from the hospital and could not go back to say thank you to Kiran Bedi. But all of us always say: India is proud of you Kiran.