The presence of mind of a Traffic Policeman saved the lives of two women in city last night.

The women, riding a scooter, were hit by a speeding auto rick-shaw and had fallen on the road. They were about to be run over by a bus when Head Constable Anantharamu of Lashkar Police Station jumped in the way of the bus and signalled the bus driver to stop in the nick of time.

Interestingly, this incident has occurred barely a few days after City Police Commissioner Dr. M.A. Saleem allowed traffic cops to move about freely outside their chowkis (posts) while on duty, by revoking the previous Commissioner’s order that the traffic cops must stay put in the chowkis during their duty time.

Since Anantharamu had the freedom to move about in the vicinity of the circle where he was manning traffic, he was able to avert a major road accident and save two lives.

The incident occurred at the Race Course Circle on M.G. Road at 8.45 pm yesterday. Rekha, 22 and her mother Malathi, 45, residents of Raghavendra Nagar, were on their way home on a scooter (KA-09, Y-9900) when an auto rickshaw coming from the opposite direction (Zoo side) hit the scooter, causing them to fall and sped away. At the same time, a private bus named Mahadeshwara was coming from the Lalitha Mahal Palace Road towards the circle.

Anantharamu, realising that the bus driver had not noticed the women lying on the road, jumped in front of the bus and waved his hands, signalling the bus driver to stop. The bus driver came to a screeching halt after spotting the cop who wore a florescent jacket. If not for the cop, the bus would have run over the two women.

The bus driver heaved a sigh of relief on realising that a major mishap was averted. Bus passengers too were all praises for the Head Constable. But he and other cops expressed their gratitude to SOM for reporting about the physical discomfiture the traffic cops had to undergo staying in the chowkis, which prompted the Commissioner to revoke the order.

Head Constable Anantharamu then took the two women who sustained minor injuries to a private hospital and sent them home.

Anantharamu, 58, has been serving in the Police Department for the past 35 years and is a resident of N.R. Mohalla in city.

Courtesy : Star Of Mysore