Policemen have to deal with harrowing sights and sounds
in the course of their duty
Edited extracts from retired assistant commissioner of police Sam Patel’s unpublished memoirs are reprinted with permission from the author.
I had to undergo many hardships and much legwork to become a competent crime officer. In those days prohibition was very rigid and the mere smell of alcohol on one’s breath was an offence. In drunkard cases, the police had to book and take the accused to the government allotted hospitals for a blood test.
I remember once while I was on wireless duty, a call came from the control room saying that a drunkard was creating trouble near Geeta Bhavan on Bhulabhai Desai Road. We picked up the accused who was shouting and abusing at the top of his voice. He, however, was brought under control with the use of a little force and was taken to St George’s Hospital.
Here again the accused refused to give his blood sample and was about to assault the doctor, when the constable came running to tell me the drunk was out of control. On seeing me, he calmed down and allowed his blood to be taken. The doctor certified him as being heavily intoxicated.
We then handed over the accused to Gamdevi Police Station. I sat down by the side of the duty officer when all of a sudden the accused freed himself from the two constables, came running towards me and bit my right arm. His efforts to escape were thwarted by other men and he was put in the lock-up. I began to feel giddy and would have fallen had it not been for the duty officer and others who got hold of me and made me sit on the bench. Immediately they decided that I should go to J. J. Hospital for treatment as blood was oozing from my upper arm.
I was taken to J. J. Hospital, where a doctor gave me a tetanus injection and cleaned up the blood which had clotted. Thereafter, I felt better and remained on duty.
Sam Patel (inset and above, 5th from l) with wireless staff of Charlie Division Mobile 1962-65
Had the accused been assaulted in turn, being heavily drunk, his liver may have burst.
In another case we received a call over the wireless that a drunkard was creating trouble near Foras Road. We immediately went to the spot, dispersed the crowd that had gathered, picked up the accused and took him to St George’s Hospital for a blood test. This accused was also very rowdy and had to be subdued. Whilst returning, near the junction of Thakurdwar Road, we saw a large steel girder being lifted by a crane across the road. The driver had to apply the brakes suddenly. The vehicle skidded and began to weave before finally stopping at the end of Charni Road railway station. The sudden stop threw us over one another and the wireless set fell down. The drunkard who had been in slumber suddenly awoke, wondered what happened and promptly vomited. He then began to yell "Kya ho raha hai? Kya ho raha hai (What is happening)?” He was pacified. We took the van to the nearest restaurant and had a cup of hot coffee and thereafter handed over the accused to the Lamington Road (now D. B. Marg) Police Station.
In those days station house duty at a police station was in three shifts commencing from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; then from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and again from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Any offence/complaint reported to the police station during duty hours had to be taken up by the station house officer concerned. Often one had to take several complaints and it would take till night time to conclude the case. On many occasions I could not go home for two days at a stretch.
Sometimes the sight of accident or murder victims is exceedingly pitiful. One cannot forget the sight for days together. Once while on night duty at Bhuleshwar, information was received that a State Transport (ST) bus had run over a person, squashing his brain. I rushed to the spot. It was 3.30 a.m. I saw the deceased in a pool of blood with a fractured skull. A novice constable fainted whilst making the panchnama (report prepared by the police about/at a crime scene) as he could not stand the sight. People gave him first aid while I completed the panchnama, taking charge of the pieces of skull and damaged brain. The ST bus had brought a marriage party from Panvel to attend a wedding at Surya Narayan Temple at Bhuleshwar and was about to depart. The driver, however, did not notice a person sleeping beside the bus and the rear wheel of the vehicle went over the man’s body.
In yet another case, a message was received that a fatal accident had occurred near Sukhanand Dharamshala, Bhuleshwar. Along with my men I immediately proceeded to the spot. A person had been run over by an Aarey Milk Colony van. The vehicle had gone over the victim’s stomach. I started making the panchnama. The constable with me was hesitant about picking up the intestines, so I did the needful. The constable began to cry because I had blood all over my hands and uniform. I told him one has to keep up courage when dealing with such situations.