Mumbai: In a unique gesture of humanity, Mumbai police on Friday, fulfilled an out-of-turn demand of a seven-year-old cancer patient.
The girl, Mahek Singh, fighting with a malignant brain tumor – Ewing's Sarcoma – was made a police officer for a day when she shared her wish to an NGO, Make-a-wish Foundation of India.
Before she was to leave for her hometown Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh; the class III student was given a charge as a senior inspector of Bhoiwada Police station for some time and even the officers at the police station called her ma'am and duly took orders from her.
She was also presented with a Valentine gift by the NGO along with Tata Memorial Center and Mumbai Police.
Dressed in a woman inspector's uniform, Mahek started her day by signing on a piece of paper by scribbling her name on it. She even patrolled the Dadar-Parel locality before reaching the police station.
Reflectively, she said, “Mujhe desh ki raksha karni hai, aur mujhe desh ko azad karna hai goondo se (I want to protect my country from goons and criminals).” This is as is reported by the Times of India daily.
Senior inspector Sunil Tondwalkar and other officers welcomed her with a salute. "We first took permission from our seniors and then coordinated with the NGO as well as the hospital to boost the kid's morale," said Tondwalkar.
Apparently, Mahek's parents have been doing rounds of Mumbai since she was told to have the deadly disease. Her father, an electrician has already spent around 1 lakh rupees on her daughter's treatment and says that he tries to fulfill all wishes of his daughter.
He said, “Since July, my wife and I have been running around with our daughter after she first complained of pain in her left shoulder. The pain was so unbearable that she could not even put on her dress. I was told to get her treated in Mumbai.”
Her mother, seen wiping tears, couldn't utter even a word when she saw her daughter seated on the inspector's chair.
Mahek's treating doctor, Tata Memorial Centre managing director (department of medical and pediatric oncology) Dr Shripad Banavali, said her condition is under control at present but there appears to be little chance of a cure.
He told that the cancer has spread all over and such a wish fulfillment program will boost the child's mental and physical health and help her fight the ailment.
Sub-Inspector, Madhuri Borse who was at the police station attending to Mahek's orders said, "Mahek had instructed me to receive her near Swaminarayan Temple in Dadar (East) where she arrived with her parents from Titwala. The NGO arranged for her uniform and we took her for patrolling.”
“The first question the child asked me when I received her is how do we catch hold of a criminal. She is a courageous girl," said sub-inspector Madhuri Borse.
