14-year-old given charge of to enforce lockdown

A 14-year-old boy, Saumya Agarwal, was given charge of a police outpost in Mihipurwa locality in Bahraich on Saturday.

Saumya had been trying to enforce lockdown in his area and seeing his efforts, the local station house officer gave him the responsibility for a day.

Clad in an orange tee shirt and pants and carrying a baton, Saumya went around with a team of policemen, reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for 'do gaz ki doori'.

He announced, "Remember that lockdown rules are to be followed. If there is any lockdown violation, then I am the police outpost in-charge today and I will register a case and send the guilty to jail."

SP Bahraich, Vipin Mishra, said, "This is the era of community policing and we are encouraging people to police themselves."

Motipur police station in charge J.P. Shukla said, "When police outpost in charge of Mihipurwa, Ajay Tiwari, came to know that Saumya was making people follow lockdown rules and is interested in joining the force, he tried this experiment."

Tiwari said the experiment has proved successful and people are following the lockdown.

Saumya, meanwhile, said that the experiment had made him even more determined to join the police force.

Bahraich MP Akshaibar Lal also praised the concept, and said it will make people understand the importance of the lockdown.

He also praised Saumya, and advised him to look after himself, follow social distancing and focus on studies, so that he can realize his dream of joining the police force.