Traffic policemen deserve OTP for an act of bravery 

SYED WAJID 
sufijourno@gmail.com 

In an extraordinary display of courage, two unarmed Delhi Traffic Police personnel overpowered two armed criminals at the Chintamani red light near Seemapuri in Northeast Delhi. The heroic act by Sub-Inspector Sanjeev Kumar and Constable Rahul Nain led to the arrest of the snatchers with loaded pistols.

The incident occurred around 7 in the evening when a local man alerted the police duo that two men on a motorcycle had just snatched a gold chain. The suspects, later identified as Waseef and Imran, tried to speed away when flagged down by the policemen.

Despite being unarmed, SI Sanjeev and Constable Rahul swung into action and caught the criminals on the spot. Sanjeev pushed the bike, causing the suspects to lose balance and fall. One of the accused aimed a pistol and fired at Sanjeev, with the bullet narrowly missing him.

“I acted on instinct and didn’t think about my safety,” said SI Sanjeev Kumar, a 1997-batch police personnel. “When they didn’t stop, I pushed the bike. One of them aimed and fired at me, but I didn’t back off. I tackled him and wrestled him to the ground.”

Constable Rahul Nain, who was manning the traffic point with Sanjeev, exhibited equal bravery. “When saab (Sanjeev) was fighting, I knew I had to support him. I jumped at the other man who was about to open fire and pinned him down. We later found they were carrying 10 live rounds,” he said.

The suspects were cornered and disarmed before a crowd gathered and began beating them mercilessly. The police managed to control the situation and took the accused into custody. Pistols and the stolen gold chain were recovered from their possession.

Interestingly, this is not the first time SI Sanjeev has nabbed notorious criminals. In 2017, while posted with the Crime Branch under the leadership of the then DCP Bhisham Singh, he arrested another criminal named Imran who carried a reward of Rs 50,000. That operation earned him an out-of-turn promotion (OTP).

Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora summoned both officers to the Police Headquarters on Jai Singh Road. Commending their courage, the top cop patted them on the back and assured them of a suitable reward for their bravery.

This is a clear case deserving an OTP. Had the bullet hit SI Sanjeev, this could have ended very tragically. Their fearless action saved the day.

An FIR has been registered and Vijay Kumar Meena has been appointed as the Investigating Officer. The swift response and fearlessness of these two traffic cops have once again proven that duty and bravery often go hand in hand—even without a weapon in hand