CHENNAI: Not long ago, police dog Ajay was called upon to help with a murder case in Salavakkam. He patiently smelled the blood stains at the spot, and then took to his heels. Ajay ran for over a kilometre and stopped in front of a house.
With the dog barking continuously, a man inside came out and was soon nabbed by the police. This was the last case Ajay cracked for the police force in his 10-decade-long career. He was laid to rest with police honours, including a 21-gun-salute, on Wednesday.
On August 25, 2012, Ajay, who was then a three-month-old puppy, was inducted into police force. The German Shepherd dog thereafter spent all his life with the Kancheepuram dog squad.“He was a specialist in tracking. Ajay attended to nearly 245 crime cases, including murder, house break-ins and robbery,” said a police officer. In several cases, he showed police the routes by which the criminal fled, and most times the culprit was nabbed after personnel combed the CCTV footage on those routes.
Age-related ailments caught up with Ajay all of a sudden. He was diagnosed with bone marrow infection. His platelet count went down on July 28 and he was sent to Chennai for treatment, where he breathed his last.Head Constable K Kothandam was Ajay’s handler and he had trained the dog excellently, say officers. Ajay had received several medals, and the personnel recall him as the most obedient dog.
“He was a true warrior to the very end, and will be missed by many. He will be remembered for his dedicated and selfless service. Police dogs who die will be treated on par with police martyrs,” said Kancheepuram SP Dr M Sudhakar.