Date:01/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/01/stories/2008100156331100.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Bouquets for a noble deed

Staff Reporter

Photo: H. Vibhu

Role model: Former judge of the Supreme Court V.R. Krishna Iyer congratulating constable Aparna Lavakumar in Kochi on Tuesday. –

KOCHI: In an age when people are trying to loot each other, those like Aparna Lavakumar are models, said V.R. Krishna Iyer, former Supreme Court judge.

He was speaking after inaugurating the meeting convened by Kerala Human Rights Protection Samiti to congratulate Aparna, a police constable attached to Ollur police station. She was in the news for handing over her gold ornaments to the relatives of a deceased to help them release the body from a private hospital mortuary.

Kalavoor N. Gopinath presided. A.C. Jose, former MLA, Father Vijay Isaac, Leela Menon, senior mediaperson, and C.P. Dineshan, managing director of Santhimadom Builders and Developers, spoke. Aparna was also presented with a cash prize.

In her reply, she said that majority of police personnel were putting in their maximum effort in serving the public. She attributed the “poor image” of police in public minds to some “bad characters” in the force. “Mine is not a solitary incident. On many occasions, police personnel have even risked their lives and saved others,” she said.