Saturday, April 5, 2014

A different experience altogether!

A forenoon that was crowded with activity. It's a combination of additions/alterations to 'The Quarterdeck', running errands for the household requirements and squaring up of a few personal work that have been pending since long. Everything had gone off well, notwithstanding the glitch at the ATM to pull out money which has been a constant bugbear that reminds me of my erratic interphase with technology!

We'd set off for Palakkad by a half past three in the afternoon. Achu was getting back and mom had to be brought back from my sister's place. We must have traversed around ten kilometers when a police patrol had flagged us to a stop to subject the vehicle to a search. I'd read in the papers - co-incidentally this morning - that there's been a lot of movement of currency notes, in bulk, that were being used by all the political parties without exception for their electioneering work. Consequently, random checks were being conducted at many spots on vehicles.

I'd opened the boot and saw the junior policemen 'groping' my bags - there were two of them - and I'd even suggested that they could open them to carry out a meaningful search which they refused giving off a weary shrug. It's then that the Circle Inspector - the team leader - who'd told me and I quote, "Sir, thanks for the co-operation. You may please go now". I'd noticed, in the meanwhile, a photographer in attendance who'd been clicking away my car's number plate and the boot space which just didn't seem right. It was then that I told the team leader that he'd be on a better wicket if the antecedents of the motorists were ascertained and incriminating evidence gathered, before resorting to photography.

And to convey to the team that I meant business, I'd told them that I'd be informing the police IG of the area - he's related to Lekha - about my observations. Was the team jolted out of their stupor? I don't know, because I'd continued with my onward journey without any further ado.


Tailpiece.

1. I know that I'd done something that I abhor doing viz. name dropping and flashing my connections. But photography, without permission, is just not done. We're not a police state, remember?!

2. And yes, I'd informed Lekha's relative late in the evening who's promised to get around what had happened!!    

No comments:

Post a Comment