Setting an example of respect and equality, IPS officer Subodh Goswami gave a heart warming farewell to SI for 39 years of service
New Delhi, February 4
Sitting on a horse, wearing a paghdi (Indian turban), smiling ear to ear, with band playing songs, Sub Inspector Rohtas Singh retired from Delhi Police after 39 years of service. This ceremony has changed the outlook of a retirement process of a policeman.
IPS officer Subodh Goswami changed the way a retirement ceremony takes place for a police officials in Delhi Police. The retirement ceremony was nothing less than a gala celebration of the service of SI Rohtas Singh in Delhi Police.
Additional DCP (West) Subodh Goswami organized a spectacular retirement ceremony for SI Rohtas, his staff officer, at the DCP West office.
Talking to BW PoliceWorld, Additional DCP Subodh Goswami said, “I was very inspired with SI Rohtas’ work for Delhi Police. He served for 39 years, the longest any policeman in his rank has served. The pandemic has brought a grim situation among the policemen and their families and we wanted a moment of complete happiness and celebration for an policeman’s service”.
He added, “We got special food prepared for around 100 people with delicacies, brought a special turban for him and made him sit on the horse while we danced to celebrate a policeman’s selfless work for his force. There is a hierarchy in police department due to which the subordinates cannot express to their officers. We wanted to break that barrier and include all policemen irrespective of their designation to be a part of this journey”.
The gesture of Additional DCP Goswami has warmed the hearts of policemen in Delhi Police and left SI Rohtas teary eyed to see that an officer has given him such respect for his work that usually goes unnoticed for non IPS police officials.
The police retirement ceremonies usually have a box of few snacks distributed among the staff and a badge of honour for the retiring officer. However, the mundane rituals were shunned this time. Goswami ensured that the retirement was indeed a ceremony and got the office decorated, brought a band to play music and halwai (caterer) to cook traditional puri sabzi and moong dal ka halwa for the attendees where all ate together.
SI Rohtas said, “This has happened for the first time in Delhi Police. I never expected that I could get such a beautiful farewell. I was overwhelmed with joy. I was appreciated for my attitude towards work and whenever senior officer asked me if a work could be done. I used to respond, “Ho jaayega Sir (It will be done)”.
SI Rohtas, a native of Narnaul in Haryana joined the Delhi Police in 1982. He served at the Delhi Police Armed unit, Hauz Khas, Malviyanagar, RK Puram, Tilaknagar and Khyala police stations, Police Control Room, Licensing Unit with his last posting at the DCP West office.
When asked about some of his challenging postings, SI Rohtas said, “I was posted a reader in Khyala police station (a sensitive police station) in 2009. Khyala is known to a den of criminals in Delhi. As a reader to my SHO I took up the task of making a list of offenders and criminals in the area within a few days to launch an operation to bust their gangs. The identification of the criminals was a challenging task in the times when we depended more on human intelligence and field work”.
Around 50 members of SI Rohtas’ family were invited in the ceremony. The ceremony had left his family members teary eyed seeing the respect poured for him.
SI Rohtas said, “The ceremony will remain in my heart forever. I can’t stop thinking about it and thanking about it”.
Additional DCP Goswami said, “These days relations have turned dead. No one wants to show emotions especially in the police department. Everyone works in a restricted manned and not even care to see that a policeman sitting in the next room, is retiring and bidding goodbye. We wanted to change that perspective. A man who served his entire life for police should be respected and valued”.
Though Additional DCP Goswami didn’t plan the ceremony with an intention to set an example but walking this extra mile has earned him lot of praise and set an example in the Delhi Police that the lower rung officials who are the backbone of the police department should be respected with all their hearts.
This heartwarming gesture of the officer has won praises by his counterparts from across the States and UT police.
