Rarely do we hear about the kindness of police officers as much as we hear about their strictness. In a heartwarming story from Chennai, a police inspector bought a juvenile a phone after he was caught when he stole one.
We've heard that debatable opinion that some thieves are born out of necessity. The lack of something may force someone to do something to make up for the inadequacy. In one such case, a 13-year-old boy was caught in Chennai after he stole a phone.
Inspector buys the boy a new phone with his own funds
The boy was brought in to the Thiruvottiyur police station having stolen phone with two other thieves. A lorry driver had complained that three thieves had stolen his phone in an autorickshaw on September 9th.
After an investigation into the crime, the police found that the boy had only been accompanied the thieves because they had promised him a mobile phone. The two had been in the same neighbourhood. The boy's parents were not well-to-do. His father worked at a biscuit shop, while his mother was domestic worker. Therefore, they couldn't buy him a phone for his education, local media reports said.
Now, with online classes, a phone has become a method of access to classes. The police inspector S Bhuvaneshwari learnt about the boy's story and decided to fund a phone for his online classes. In fact, the inspector spent the money he had saved up for his own daughter's phone to provide the 13-year-old with one.
Many have praised the inspector for his show of kindness. This has become a curious case of reform instead of punishment. This is not the first case where young children have been forced into crime just to meet their needs. The boy was let off with a warning.
Education in the time of the pandemic has changed faces dramatically making it hard for students from low-income groups to participate. More than kindness of individuals, perhaps policy would help the many children facing the same issue.
