GULBARGA: District police celebrated the concluding ceremony of the annual police sports meet here on Tuesday, though the body of one of their colleagues was lying barely 100 metres from the venue.
District Armed Reserve police head constable Md Jaffar Sadiq (51), a cook in the residence of the Inspector General of Police in Gulbarga, was entering the main gate of DAR police headquarters to go to his house. He had stopped his twowheeler near the main gate to answer nature's call at 4.15 pm when he collapsed due to a massive heart attack and died on the spot.
Though many persons and vehicles passed by, nobody bothered to enquire. Family sources said that they approached the Deputy Superintendent of Police, DAR, and requested him to make arrangements to take the body to the quarters, but their pleas were not heard. Neighbours and friends took the body home later in a private vehicle.
Friends of Md Jaffar Sadiq told Express that he had 25 years of service and worked as a cook in the residences of both the SP and the IGP. "The officials did not stop the concluding function of the sports meet to condole the death on being informed. The higherups did not bother to come to the spot or make arrangements to take the body home," they said.
Sadiq is survived by five daughters and two sons. The last rites would be held on Wednesday.
SP Padmanayan told Express that he had no idea that the body was lying for about an hour near the main gate of DAR Police Grounds.
The SP said that he was unaware that the relatives had requested the DySP to provide a vehicle to take the body home. "It is a natural death. How could we disappoint hundreds of police personnel who were jubilant on getting prizes at the concluding function of the sports meet?" the SP asked.