Bapu Lonkar:The Savior cop

Source:http://www.dnaindia.com/pune/report_pune-bus-rampage-savior-cop-wishes-to-serve-in-police-station_1792520

Exactly a year ago, a daredevil police constable barged into the bus which Mane was driving and thereby helped nab the killer driver.

The constable, Bapu Lonkar, presently is assigned to the guard duty at the police commissioner’s office.

However, Lonkar wishes to get transferred to a police station during the general transfers and hopes that his role in the Mane case will help him get a desired posting.

Lonkar, who was recruited as a police constable in 2010, has not only grabbed the attention of his 550 batch mates but also the top brass police officers after his daredevil act on January 25 last year.

Lonkar was rewarded with Rs6,000 for his exemplary acts by the then police commissioner Meeran Chadha Borwankar. It is the highest amount received as award by any of his batchmates.

Lonkar said, “I still remember the incident vividly. I was on my way to the police headquarter in Shivajinagar on my motorcycle. When I reached Hotel Seven Loves Chowk in Swargate, I saw an ST bus driver driving the bus in full speed and people running helter-skelter to get out of his way. After he passed the chowk, I decided to chase the bus and thus, changed my route.”

He added, “After a short chase, I overtook the bus and asked a PMC dumper driver to park the vehicle at the centre of the road, but he was too scared. I then went to the Laxminarayan Chowk, parked my motorcycle and stood along the road. When the bus passed the chowk, I ran behind it and held the iron ladder of the bus.”

The brave cop adds, “Soon I manged to get inside the vehicle through the window. Fortunately, Mane did not see me or else he would have hit bus to a roadside pole. I slapped Mane twice and asked him to stop the bus. He asked me who I was and warned me against troubling him. I even tried handling the steering wheel but he shoved me aside and I fell inside the cabin. While Mane and I were fighting with each other, he failed to keep a track of the road and rammed against the road divider. Consequently, the bus stopped.”

“Soon, the people who were chasing him got inside the bus, caught hold of him and started thrashing him,” he added.

Lonkar’s father is a constable with the state reserve of police force. He has been staying with his parents and his younger brother at Ramtekdi in Hadapsar. Lonkar has completed his bachelors in commerce from a city-based college. He is also preparing for the police sub-inspector examination.

“I am often showered with praises. Sometimes they also call me ‘Mane’ in banter. I take it as a compliment. The top brass police officers also recognise me now and I feel good. I would like to do some executive work at the police station in the future,” said Lonkar.