The child on the other end of the line was sobbing: "My father is trying to commit suicide, please save him." The officers manning the Dial 100 police helpline initially thought it was a prank, but duty-bound to respond any way , they landed up at the South Sinthee apartment to find a man lying smouldering, and a mother and daughter weeping inconsolably .
The victim, 37-year-old businessman Rajeev Khanna, suffered 40% burns but is likely to survive -all because his 10-year-old daughter Rashi heeded Metro advertisements and kept her cool in a crisis. Khanna got quick medical aid because of Rashi's SOS to cops.
Rashi, who studies in Calcutta Public School, told TOI that she knew of the Dial 100 helpline through public messages at Metro stations. The crisis at home started when she was getting ready for school. Neighbours recall hearing arguments in the Khannas' first-floor flat at 134G South Sinthee Road around 8.15am.
"I was very scared when my father started pouring kerosene on himself. My mother was crying incessantly and I did not know what to do. Suddenly I remembered a Metro advertisement that citizens could approach police for help by dialling 100. I was not sure how helpful it would be but I dialled," said Rashi. "Initially we thought someone was playing a prank but the child sounded terrified.She said her father was trying to commit suicide by setting himself ablaze. She was crying for our help," said an officer at the Lalbazaar HQ. "We did not take any chances and told a patrol vehicle to rush to the address given by the girl," he added.
The building is only a few hundred metres from Dum Dum Metro Station. When the patrol team reached the Khanna household, he was lying on the kitchen floor, semiconscious and with burn injuries. "The mother and daughter were crying inconsolably," said one of the first responders. A little later, a team from Sinthee police station also arrived and took Khanna to RG Kar Hospital. Police suspect domestic strife could have triggered the suicide bid. "We have not been able to speak to the wife or daughter till now because they are devastated. Some relatives told us that Khanna was facing domestic problems," said an officer of Sinthee.
Rashi's mother Shikha, who was at RG Kar, said the child was traumatized. "She displayed exemplary presence of mind and courage. But the sight of her father trying to commit suicide has left her in shock. We have moved her to a relative's place to recover," said Shikha.
On April 6, Dial 100 had saved the life of a 20-year-old girl, who had cut her wrists and drank floor cleaning fluid to commit suicide. She could not bear the pain and called the helpline. Police arrived in minutes although she had not given her address. They tracked her through GPS and rushed her to hospital.
Source: The Times Of India
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