CHANDIGARH: Circus lover who had gone to the night show of Rajhamal circus on last Sun day, had to witness, albeit suffer another kind of show a brut display of force and raining to the choicest of epithets on the owners. All from a Sub Divisional Magistrate from Punjab and an “SP” friend of his.

It all began with the SDM, Punjab Civil Service officer sauntering in with three friends, one of whom introduced himself as Superintendent of Police (crime). The circus owners promptly gave their seats in the VIP box.

‘That show of courtesy only whetted the “guests” appetite Fifteen minutes before the show; they made two guests of the owners leave the VIP box.

That show of courtesy only whetted the guest appetite Fifteen minutes before the show they made two guests of the owners leave the VIP BOX : after all the snooty babus could not have rubbed shoulders with the hoi polloi.

When the whistle for the show was heard, the two officers insisted that it be delayed till their relatives arrived, Sure enough, the circus owners obliged. But the audience was getting restive. But that is only half the story. ‘The tipsy duo began their own ‘circus. The exasperated circus ‘owners had to call in the cops.

‘A sub inspector who landed on the owners pleaded with the SDM to behave. His pleadings only ‘evoked snorts of derision from the cocky SDM and the “SP”,

It was time for senior police officers to get into their act. When ‘even their pleas were met with threats and misbehavior, the duo was taken to the general hospital for a medical examination,

The scene they created there ‘made the director, Health Services, visit the hospital at the late hour. ‘The doctor on duty, whose chair ‘one of the two drunks wanted tc ‘occupy, confirmed that both were punch drunk. The two reportedly refused to sign the medical report and only one of them allowed his blood sample to be taken.

The SDM’s “SP” friend was later found to be an employee of Punjab University. He happens to be a relative of an SP (crime) with the Punjab police in whose ‘name he was playing the trick.

Efforts of some of the friends of the SDM to dilute the medical report failed.

The police acted too courteous and it was not known immediately at whose order was the allowed to go after the medical ‘checkup and what happened to the medical reports.

Interestingly, the police have made it obligatory that the two hour circus show should get over by 9 p.m.

Article extracted from this publication >> February 28, 1992