In a heartwarming incident, the police in Hyderabad decided to surprise a retired school teacher on her birthday amid the COVID-19 lockdown by showing up outside her door and wishing her, on the request of her son who lives in the United States.
A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows Neredmet Station House Officer (SHO) Narsimha and a few others outside the house of Kutty Paul singing 'happy birthday' much to her surprise on Friday, 24 April.
The police showed up at her doorstep after her son, Alfred Asher Paul, wrote to Malkajgiri Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rakshitha K Murthy of the Rachakonda police asking if they could surprise her on his behalf.
Alfred Asher a resident of Denver, Colorado, wrote to the police, saying, "It’s my mother's 60th birthday for which I was originally planning on giving her a surprise visit to make it extra special for her, but due to the current situation with the COVID-19 lockdown, I am unable to travel."
"As my mother lives alone, I was looking to see if I could request your department to send a representative to personally wish her on behalf of my family, my brother's family and uncles and aunts in the US. My mother loves surprises and I am sure it would make her day. I would be ever grateful if you could honour my special request in the current circumstances," he added.
‘Yet to Recover From the Surprise’
Speaking to The News Minute, Kutty Paul, a retired teacher who used to head the English Department at the Bhavan's Sri Ramakrishna Vidyalaya (BSRKV) in Sainikpuri, says that she is yet to 'recover' from the surprise.
“It was a very good gesture from the police department, especially at a time when people are very critical of them during the lockdown. They are doing a very crucial job,” she says.
Kutty Paul is the wife of late T Vijay Paul, a cricketer who played for Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy and later became one of the most sought-after cricket coaches in the city, whose students included Pragyan Ojha and Ambati Rayudu.
"The police called me to ask me the exact location of my house. I questioned them in return, saying who are you and why do you want my address. Once they told me my son's name, I told them where I live and they showed up within a short while outside my house," she said.
“In a lighter moment, the policeman later told me that I’m a good citizen for not sharing my details readily. I apologised and said that it was their training,” she added, with a chuckle.
Asked if she had spoken to her son yet, she said, "It's still night-time where he lives and he's asleep. I'm not used to so much attention and being in the limelight. I'm just a school teacher. My phone has been ringing continuously. I don't think even my son also thought that it would take off in such a way, but I am very happy with the surprise."
(This story has been published in an arrangement with The News Minute)
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