Lockdown: Telangana Cop choose duty over mother's funeral

Hyderabad: For police constable M. Gowri Naidu of Medipally police station, duty came before his family. On Friday night, he continued with his lockdown duties even after receiving news of his mother’s death.

Gowri Naidu, a resident of Srikakulam district, joined the department in 2007. For the past three years, he has been posted at Rachakonda commissionerate's Medipally police station. On Friday he was on duty at a checkpoint when his younger brother, Sreenu, called him to inform him of their mother’s death. He asked the constable to leave immediately but Gowri Naidu told his father and brother that he was on emergency duties due to the lockdown and could not leave his post.

Mr Gowri Naidu told media persons that his senior officers had agreed to make arrangements for him to attend the funeral but he knew that if he left he would have to stay at home for a few days. He would not be able to report for duty immediately. Further, it would take at least 14 hours for him to reach home. Till then his mother's body would be at home and people would gather there without following any social distancing norms. Therefore, he requested his brother and father to perform the final rites and promised that he would come home once the lockdown was lifted.