Seema Dhaka, a head constable at Delhi’s Samaypur Badli police station, on Wednesday became the first Delhi Police personnel to be awarded an “out-of-turn promotion” after she rescued 76 missing children in under three months.
The promotion came under the Asadharan Karya Puraskar incentive scheme announced by the city’s commissioner of police in August this year, an official release said.
The incentive scheme promised out-of-turn promotions for constables and head constables who rescue more than 50 children below the age of 14 within a year. As many as 56 of the children rescued by Dhaka were under the age of 14.
“I am a mother and never want someone to lose their child,” Dhaka told The Indian Express. “We worked round the clock every day on missing reports to rescue children.”
She recounted rescuing a minor from a village in West Bengal in October this year as “one of the most challenging cases.” She said the boy’s mother had filed a complaint two years ago but later changed her address and mobile number.
“We went to a small village and crossed two rivers during floods,” she told The Indian Express. “We somehow managed to rescue the child from near his relative’s place.”
Dhaka said she also worked on several cases where teenagers left their homes after having fights with their parents and later got into drugs and alcohol.
“When we rescue the children, we counsel them and take them to the police station,” she said.
Several people, including Delhi Commissioner of Police SN Shrivastava and actor Richa Chadha congratulated Dhaka on Twitter for her promotion.
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