The rowdy-sheeters were assembled in early hours of 1 January, 2018.
Bengaluru cops recently showed that sometimes, a good deed can help end evil. Circle Inspector (CI) LY Rajesh asked rowdy-sheeters from the Attibele area of Bangalore to assemble at the Attibele Police Station at 6:30 am on January 1st, 2018.
While the men were worried that this meant trouble, the policemen did something which could potentially change lives of the convicts.
In an attempt to improve the lives of these rowdy-sheeters, gave each one of them a sapling, a book, and thread. Explaining the reason behind the initiative, he told The News Minute, “They thought that they were in trouble as we had asked all of them to come. Some of them were not in town but 26 of them came. We told them that they were not going to be interrogated but we asked them to take an oath to reform.”
Each gift given to the rowdy-sheeters was symbolic of a constructive change. The sapling symbolises optimism and positive growth. The book, ‘Karunalu Baa Belake’ by Gururaj Karajagi, is a compilation of short stories about reformation.
The police are also looking for employment opportunities for them.
“These are stories of reform. We just wanted them to be motivated. Currently, we also have the new beat system where one constable monitors the rowdy-sheeters of one village. They check up on them to see their progress after they became employed. If they need counselling or any help, we have asked them to approach us,” said CI Rajesh.
A thread was tied on their wrists after the rowdy-sheeters took an oath of changing their criminal ways.
The police will ensure that this gesture is not an isolated incident of a good deed towards rowdy-sheeters.
They are planning employment opportunities and counselling sessions for them, so they don’t turn back to criminal activities.
“Nobody chooses to be a rowdy,” says CI Rajesh. “It depends on the kind of circumstances life has offered them. We just wanted them to know that it is possible to reform. We have doctors from Kidwai Memorial Hospital who help with their counselling. We have already got three of them jobs.”
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Some of the convicts who attended the early morning session were first-time petty thieves. The police are positive that such men will change their ways soon. The group also involved some murder convicts but the police are optimistic about a change in their lives with proper counselling and a job in a field that interests them.
“I don’t know if all of them will reform but even if one or two of them change, it is an accomplishment. We only want them to change and not get back to a life of crime,” CI Rajesh told TNM.
Featured image source: Twitter- Bangalore Mirror.
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