Colleagues remember braveheart Delhi Police constable Sandeep: 'Would rush to crime scene alone'

NEW DELHI: When Hitesh's phone rang at 3.30am on Sunday, he thought his brother may have come home unannounced. However, it was a call from Nangloi police station informing that his brother, constable Sandeep Malik, had been wounded on duty.

Hitesh rushed to Delhi from Sonipat, hoping to take care of his brother and ensure he recovered soon. He reached the hospital in Delhi at 5.30am, only to learn that Sandeep was no more.

Hitesh didn't know how to react or inform their mother or Sandeep's wife. Sandeep's five-year-old son was oblivious to everything. In fact, he was angry that his father hadn't spent the Sunday evening with him and even complained to his mother.

The atmosphere at Nangloi police station on Sunday was sombre as cops mourned the death of their colleague. Police personnel and friends shared his picture on social media, reminiscing about their time with him. Senior cops said they were expediting the compensation. They will also write to Delhi govt for disbursal of the Rs 1 crore compensation, besides service benefits, they said.

Belonging to the batch of 2018, Sandeep was a brave and diligent policeman, his colleagues said. The cops described him as hardworking, kind-hearted and cheerful. "He took his work seriously and was brave. He would single-handedly catch criminals and help needy people in the area. He was always ready to help people," said a colleague.

"Sandeep knew every household in his beat area, including the number of people living there and any guests visiting," recalled a head constable, who didn't wish to be named.

"We generally patrol in pairs. Despite warnings from us to avoid patrolling alone late at night, Sandeep would often rush to the scene whenever he received information about any disturbance," said a sub-inspector who knew Sandeep closely.

Unfortunately, Sandeep's murder isn't an isolated instance, but, in fact, an addition to the growing lawlessness in the city.

"The fear of law is evidently waning in the capital. Criminals have become trigger-happy like never before and shoot at will. The city's streets have turned into a playground for rogue elements and police seem to be watching helplessly," said a retired cop. "An unprecedented situation seems to be unfolding wherein even the cops are also not being spared now," the cop added.

Then, there are gang wars breaking out in the city, which were earlier restricted to outskirts, but are now happening inside crowded restaurants and upscale areas like GK-I.

"The fact that criminals believe that they can get away with ease after this scale of violence shows how brazen they have become. There seems a lack of fear of police and it's a matter of serious concern," another cop said.

Even in the latest case, there were not one but three cops at the spot, but not only did the WagonR driver manage to mow Sandeep down, but also managed to flee with ease, leaving his car behind. The FIR, accessed by TOI, even cites cops saying that they heard the driver, Dharmender, screaming: "Let's kill this cop today!".

Retired police officers pointed out that such incidents also showed that the force needed to strengthen and modernise policing measures like street surveillance, area domination, night patrolling and beat policing. Former top cops agree that an immediate course correction was the need of the hour and that Delhi Police needed a complete overhaul across its ranks to make the city safer.