Cops turn good samaritans in Kerala- deliver oxygen cylinder, cakes, even catch snake

From delivering cakes to oxygen cylinder or netting a slimy serpent, cops in Kerala are playing good samaritans, helping people in distress and bringing cheer during the COVID-19 lockdown. Forty nine-year-old Rosamma, from a tribal hamlet in the high range idukki district was taken aback recently seeing the men in khaki at her door stepwithan oxygen cylinder and equally surprised was 60-year-old Jancey from Kaipamangalam in Thrissur whenthey knocked her door and gave her a birthday cake.

Rosamma was suffering from lung disease for years and was undergoing treatment sinceover two years years at Kottayam medical college.

"She came back to her home last year and the tribal department was taking care of her treatment expenses. But for last four months, a payment of Rs 40,000 was pending from the department," a family source said.

As the woman was unable to get an oxygen cylinder due to the lockdown, Adimali police came forward to help her.

"We decided to provide her with an oxygen cylinder which she was in badlyin need and also gifted her provisions that can last for more than two weeks," a police officer from Adimali said.

On April 25 night, the Kaipangalam police received a strange request from 11-year-old Lenna from Qatar, who wanted to know if they would deliver a cake to her grandmother who had turned 60.

"Police uncle can you help us? We are in Qatar. It is my grandmnother's60th birthday on Sunday. Can you send a birthday cake to her?. Its her 60th borthday and the family was supposed to come to Kerala, But due to lockdown we are stuck here", she told the police personnel.

The cops also spoke to her parents and promised to deliver the cake the following day. On Sunday monring, Jancey and her husband were shocked on seeing the policemen.

"But we told them there was nothing to worry and that we had dropped in to deliver a birthday cake to her", police said.

The police personnel also had a video chat with lenna, showed her grandmother with the cake and the child was overjoyed, they said. On the request of the parents, who are stuck in Italy due to the lockdown, cops recently handed over a cake to three- year-old Marya Rose at Mala in Thrissur district. Police sources told PTI they had anotherunusual request for help from a person who was abroad saying that her elderly parents were living alone in the state capital and had found a serpent.

A team was immediately sent with a snake catcher, and the nocturnal visitor was caught and taken off, much to the relief of the elderly couple. Another plea was from a man from Kannur who urgently needed "Marimani Thylam" (an Ayurvedic pain reliever), which was also provided,the sources said. Policemen have also been active in spreading the message of hand washing and social distancing.