Unlike people in most other professions, police are thick-skinned. Despite being portrayed as crooked, ruthless and/ or incompetent in popular culture, they don’t seem to mind. One reason for their portrayal as bad cops may be because their depictions mirror reality on too many occasions. But once in a blue moon, there comes one ‘police story’ that reminds both those who are highly suspicious of cops as well as those who admire them for their ‘vice squad’ qualities, that there is, indeed, an entity called the good cop. The latest manifestation of this sub-species was spotted on Saturday in Kolkata. Officer-in-charge Howrah Bridge Traffic Guard Souvik Chakraborty was minding his own business – which is regulating one of the city’s busiest, most chaotic traffic spots – when he spotted a distraught girl in school uniform in tears. It turns out that she was supposed to reach her examination centre for her Class 10 board exam, but somehow had ended up in the wrong place. She had to venture out by her own as the rest of her family was busy attending a funeral.
Enter Inspector Chakraborty. He immediately gave the upset girl a ride on his official vehicle, calling up Traffic Control Room to ensure an unimpeded route to the right exam centre. The girl reached just in time. Move over Chulbul Pandey and Harry Callaghan. Inspector Chakraborty is here.
