Monday, February 16, 2009

Krishnaraja Police Station-Temple: memories


"Keep your bicycles in, bring stamp papers and pay the penalty." said the police constable to me and my friend who were riding out for some errand. He had caught us from behind an avenue tree trunk, for riding our bicyles without lights, a reasonably serious offence that brought in some revenue to the department. That happened right in front of the Krishnaraja Police Station, near old Agrahara. Riding without lights in front of a police station! How daring! I had the dynamo fitted, but its friction to the wheel meant extra pedaling effort and so I had kept it disconnected while my neighbour-friend, one Madhukara, had nothing at all. The year was about 1979.

Sheepishly obeying, we pushed our bicycles in to the police station's open yard marking the first time of my setting foot in a police station for a traffic offence. And, that was the first time I saw that lovely idol of Lord Krishna with the white cow. For a moment we thought we were not in a police station, but soon the constable drew our attention and pressurized us to rush to buy stamp papers from a vendor nearby. The value of the fine was Rs.10 and we bargained with the Inspector since we were students. He agreed that a paper worth eight rupees and fifty paise would be enough! We had some small coins in our pockets which came in handy! We were asked to sign on that blank stamp paper which we did and then we left home with our bicycles after leaving our names and addresses on a sheet of paper for him to fill up his cases.

The newspaper write-up [read by opening the picture] featuring this unique police station appeared in the local edition of a leading daily brought memories of my only visit to that unique temple-station. The title of that write-up could be an answer to why we were not asked for bribes! Read that clip, the station has an interesting history.

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