Mysuru: Kuvempunagar Traffic Assistant Sub-Inspector Siddegowda and Head Constable Ramesh were the unlikely heroes when they stopped the vehicle of Chief Minister Siddharmaiah and the convoy following it and let a ambulance pass.

This timely action of the Cops came in for much praise from the public who were witness to the incident. It is very rare that Traffic Cops manning the traffic signals stop the vehicles of VIPs. Their normal reaction is to come to attention and salute the person sitting in the back seat of the VIP car. However, on Oct.3, when Chief Minister Siddharamaih and his followers who were all driving on Ring Road around 7.30 pm after a Congress Convention in Hootagalli, approached the Bogadi Ring Road junction, an ambulance with sirens blazing was following them.

The two Cops Siddegowda and Ramesh, who were manning this signal to control the traffic and allow the VIP vehicles to pass, realised the gravity of the situation and decided to use the discretion at their command. They immediately asked the vehicle carrying the CM to pull over and the convoy was also forced to follow suit.

The ambulance carrying a sick person was allowed to pass first. Speaking to Star of Mysore, Siddegowda said, “We decided to take the decision on the spot as the ambulance with siren should always get precedence over any VIP movement. This, in fact, is what we have been taught in our basic training course of one year that we undergo after we are selected to the Police force. We had to take a split second decision and hence, we did not have time to take the permission from our superiors.”

There should be more such Police Officers who follow the conscience of their profession than bow to the pressures of the higher-ups or VIP culture.

Even CM Siddharmaiah should laud the duty-bound Cops’ act.