Two police personnel have received a pat on the back from Police Commissioner A.K.Viswanathan for coming to the rescue of women stranded on a local train. At 10.30 a.m on Saturday, local train services across the city came to a halt on account of a signal failure. Several trains were stopped between stations.
The police control room was inundated with calls from people seeking assistance. One such call mentioned women stuck in a compartment, unable to disembark owing to the large gap between the step and the tracks. They had been stranded for over two hours.
Police personnel in the control room alerted patrolling teams of Esplanade and Flower Bazaar police stations. Two Armed Reserve personnel — Dhanasekaran and Manikandan — who were on patrol duty rushed to the spot.
The two constables crouched next to the step of the compartment and offered their back and shoulders as a ladder for the women to step on and alight from the compartment. Among them were several elderly women and a pregnant woman. A television journalist Mahesh joined in the rescue effort. Mr. Viswanathan appreciated Dhanasekaran and Manikandan for helping the women.