My Encounter with the PolicemanDr. Sweta Chhaochharia

It was a Thursday evening. I was sitting in my office room trying to relax my mind and prepare for the next day's hearing. I dismissed all my staffs except Motilal, the man who for twenty five years is locking my office and opening in the morning without any complain. I was jotting down important notes on the case. I looked at my watch. 8:30! I will be late again for my club. And Mehra will be waiting for me. I had an important discussion with him. It's all related to tomorrow's hearing. I cannot afford to lose it. I decided to do my notings afterwards and immediately head toward the club. I was arranging and packing some important papers in my bag when the door opened violently and a man burst into my room. It was so sudden and shocking that I was totally taken aback.

The man was in all black, black leather jacket, black trouser and black hat. I was about to call Motilal when the stranger announced in a hissing voice, 'your man is lying outside unconscious. I am sorry for this inconvenience.'

I picked up my mobile and about to call my friend across street. But the man snatched it from my hand and switched it off. I cried in despair, 'who the hell are you? What did you do with Motilal?'

He took off his hat which was concealing his face from upper half and said, 'your man is not in danger. He will be fine within a couple of hours.'

I looked at his face. It was a known face, very familiar. Yes, inspector Yashwant Patil, the most wanted man at present, a murderer. He read my recognition of him in my eyes. He sat in front of me, his eyes piercing mine. I said, 'what do you want?'

He glanced at the files which were still in my hand in the briefcase and said, 'you will fight my case.'This was a big shock. I tried to laugh, 'are you mad?' I was going to make a few more remarks but stopped myself as he pointed his pistol at me. He said, 'do you believe now?'I began to fumble, 'I..I..mean..I can't fight your case. I have no time.''I didn't ask your choice. It is the only thing you can do', he said, still holding his gun.I said, 'are you threatening me?''Yes.''Why are you so desperate? There are other lawyers in the town. Why me?''Because I want the best.'

Now this might be a cool compliment if I had received it in some other place. But it sounded me now like the greatest regret. I said, 'you want my consent at the gun point? What happens if I breach my promise afterwards?'

'I know your character Mr. lawyer. For the last 24 hours I was studying you. I know very well you never betrayed your clients.'

My sudden shock and fear has came down by now. The picture was getting clearer and I was understanding my position. This homicidal maniac, having murdered the MP Narayan Rai twenty four hours ago is trying to pursue me to defend him.

I said, 'Mr. Patil, then you might know, I don't defend criminals.' He put his gun in front of him on the table and said, 'I didn't kill him, though I wanted to do.'I said, 'come on man, you were on camera. The news channels are over flooded with your video of pointing the pistol and killing Rai. Every thing is clear. There is nothing to hide.'He said, 'Mr. lawyer, I said that I didn't kill him. If you don't believe me, you have no choice but to defend me in the court. Otherwise..' he picked up his gun once more and completed his sentence, 'if I killed one, I can always kill other. By that I can do justice to my punishment.'

My earlier fear came again, I said, 'you can't kill me. Give me some time to think.'He said, 'only five minutes, I can give you to decide. I am not joking.' He held the gun in his left hand and started casually roaming in my room. Never in my life I prayed so earnestly for some miracle to happen. I was looking at the table clock which he pointed out. Four minutes elapsed. I saw him tightly gripping the gun with his fingers. I observed him carefully as he walked to the door. I know that time was running out but suppressed the urge to check my watch. I took a deep breath and started counting in reverse under my breath 10.9.8.7. He turned back. To my surprise, I saw in his eyes an appeal instead of terror. He reminded me a remote case I worked on during the starting years of my career. I called him, 'Mr. Patil. I want to hear your story'.

A faint smile came and disappear. He put his gun in his pockets and sat on the chair. I said, 'begin.'

For the next one hour what I heard was just the story of an honest police officer and a corrupt politician as depicted in our Indian films endless number of times. In short, Yashwant Patil was an honest police officer, living happily with his wife and a little daughter in a small town. Everything was fine. His wife's unbound love towards him used to take away all his fatigue. In the evening when he returned home, he was greeted with the giggles and smiles of his little daughter. He could never forget those days when his daughter embraced his neck with her two little hands and said, 'papa, I want ice-cream.' It was all like a fairy tale. Then came a villain, MP Narayan Rai. He was just like the typical villain with all criminal qualities. He was involved in drugs smuggling, human trafficking, illegal liquor business. He employed a gang of anti-socials who were engaged in kidnapping, eve teasing and all sorts of anti-social activities. No one dared to touch a hair of Narayan Rai. But Patil was different. He started confronting Rai's activities. He imprisoned Rai's 'boys' and started accumulating each and every evidence against Rai so that he could not slip out of his hand. Initially Rai didn't gave him much attention. But eventually Rai was aware and then he tried to buy him. Failed, he threatened him. Patil's daughter was kidnapped but Patil was not ready to compromise with his 'duty'. The result was he lost his daughter. They killed the child. His wife, out of grief, committed suicide. Patil, now left alone in the world, decided to fight back. He would not let his wife and daughter's death to go in vain. He bounced back but only to get suspended this time. Forged evidences were collected that he took bribe. Money was found in his closet. Patil lost everything including his job and left his town. He took a new job of a security guard.

Coincidently, Rai was there in this new town for his political rally. It was evening. Patil was returning from his duty. The demon who took away his happiness was here in this town. He promised his dead wife and daughter that one day he will kill that demon. He felt his pistol in his left pocket. But today is not the day. He was thinking whether to go inside or not. And then he went inside. His blood was boiling when he saw his enemy with a big rose garland around his neck, smiling with folded hand before the public. Patil could not resist and took out his pistol and pointed at the politician. A bullet was heard and Narayan Rai fell on the stage. The bullet penetrated his heart. He was dead. The area was covered with CCTV cameras. In one such camera Patil was captured holding pistol towards Rai. This was his story. I said, 'you didn't fire? Then who?''I don't know. It's not my job anymore to find murderer.' 'Nerves! You got that man. Well, for that other CCTV footages need to be checked thoroughly. Just pray that the one who killed him is also captured.''My wife used to say that I am very handsome and photogenic', he chuckled.'May be she was right', I saw the man was now not afraid of his death. This was necessary for him to recall every information however small it might be. I asked, 'you knew that Rai was coming to this town?''I think somebody told me the previous day'.'Who told you?''I don't remember. It might be my colleagues or room mate.'I handed him a glass of water and said, 'now look Mr. Patil, if you want me to defend your case, you need to be very specific. Tell me actually who told you about the arrival of Rai.'He closed his eyes. He was thinking. And then he said, 'I remember, it was Babu who told me.''Who is he?''My room mate.''How long do you know him?''I knew him slightly when I was an inspector. He was someway related to one of my colleagues there. When I came in this town and searching for a place to live at a reasonable rate, I met him again probably two months ago. He took me at his place. I am living there with him since then.''Does he know your past?''Yes.''Have you anytime disclose him your desire to kill Rai?''Yes, may be.''On the day of murder, have you met anybody who reminded you your grudge?''No body at my work place knows about it. But Babu is my friend. He came there just when I was leaving. Now I remember, I was not very willing to see that man (Rai), but Babu said he wanted to see Narayan Rai. So we both entered.''I see. Now tell me each and every word between you and Babu on the spot.'He said thoughtfully, 'strange, now that you are asking, I can remember every moment of yesterday very clearly. Whereas in last twenty four hours I could not recall anything. It was just like a black out.'I smiled compassionately and said, 'Its my job to get information from my client.'He shook his head and said, 'Babu and I were standing at least twenty feet from the stage. You can verify this in the footage. Narayan Rai was on the stage. My blood was boiling. I could see my daughter's and wife's dead face in front of my eyes. Babu was standing beside me. I heard him whispering to my ears, 'he is the man who killed your daughter. Remember your wife's face. Kill him. He is there in front of you.' I gripped my pistol inside my pocket. Babu continued, 'what are you waiting for?' I took my pistol out and pointed towards Narayan Rai. But to my surprise, my hands were shaking. I couldn't fire it. I tried to stabilize my hands but in vain. And then a loud shot. But it was not me. Even I couldn't open the safety lock.'

'What happened to Babu? Where was he?''I couldn't find him afterwards. People were running to and fro and may be because of that I lost him.''Didn't you meet him afterwards?''No, I didn't dare to visit our place. The police would be there.'One more question, 'how did you enter there with a pistol in your pocket?''I was in my security guard uniform.''It was not sufficient'.

I advised him to go to the police and surrender. I promised him that I will fight his case. The next few days were too busy for me. Day and night I was working on this case. My people were working hard, examining each and every footage of that day, Patil's workplace and home. We talked with his colleagues and neighbours. But we couldn't find what we wanted. Babu was missing from that day. We got no information about him. The fact that he was a distant relative of Patil's ex-colleague proved false. The colleague denied having any relation with Babu. Patil couldn't illuminate us any further. When we were about to lost all hopes and I started feeling very sorry for Patil, we got a small information. Based on that the latter events followed. It was Babu who was employed by the opposition party to follow Patil. The plan was to kill Narayan Rai through Patil. Babu's job was to instigate Patil, to scratch his wounds so badly that he kills Rai. And Babu was successful in his job partly. But Patil was always waiting for 'some other day' to kill his enemy. In this way Narayan Rai's life span prolonged and the opposition lost their patience. They made a second plan. Babu's job was only to take Patil at the venue and provoke him so much that he takes out his pistol. The rest was already fixed. There was an assassin among the crowd who fired the bullet. The camera captured Patil as planned. There was no blame on the opposition. Babu confessed of provoking Patil. He also confessed about Patil's innocence in this murder. The actual murderer is still not found. The police is doing their job. But Patil was freed. I had done my job.

I could never forget our last conversation. I asked him, 'where will you go?'He said with the same faint smile, 'to work harder. I have to pay your fat fees.'I was looking at his disappearing figure praying unmindfully for his future.'