Mumbai cop breaks law to save 90-year-old's life

Sub-inspector Urmila Kirdat became a hero for the Marolia-Balsara family on Wednesday. The officer from Matunga police station went beyond the call of duty and broke protocol to save the life of a senior citizen who was home alone.

The family of 90-year-old Eruch Balsara got a scare when he did not open the door, despite repeated knocking and ringing of the doorbell. Fearing the worst, his niece Naazneen and another relative Shahrukh Marolia, then went to the Matunga police.

"Initially, I thought my uncle could be sleeping," said Marolia, "but when he did not open the door even after repeated calls, I became a bit worried."

Eruch's son lives in Singapore and his wife too had left for the country eight days ago. Marolia was carrying food for his uncle and went to Balsara's Matunga residence at around 5.30 pm.

Duty officer Urmila Kirdat wasted no time when Naazeen and Marolia sought police help by 8.30 pm. She rushed to the spot along with a police mobile van after alerting the fire brigade.

"We tried to open the main door of the first floor flat, but it wouldn't budge," says Kirdat. "The fire brigade then broke open the kitchen grill, entered the flat and opened main door."

They found Bulsara unconscious on the sofa in the hall, but breathing.

"It took more than three hours to break open the layers of paddocks and grills and complex locking systems before we could enter," says Naazneen. "It was critical to rush him to his regular medical support system in South-Mumbai, but as per protocol the police could provide assistance only up to Sion Hospital. We were losing every precious second and officer Urmila Kirdat conceded."

"I kept calling the ambulance but it did not come," says Kirdat. "We were supposed to go to Sion Hospital but the family said they knew doctors at Breach Candy Hospital and asked us for help," Kirdat said.

Three constables, including the driver and Kirdat took it upon themselves to escort Balsara to Breach Candy. "Marolia and Naazneen were also in the van with Eruch," said Kirdat. "With no ambulance, no oxygen mask and bad traffic condition, anything could have happened. Yet we managed to take senior citizen safely to the hospital. The smiles on the faces of the Balsara family gave me immense satisfaction."

"We reach from Dadar to Breach Candy in flat 15 minutes," says Marolia. "We got stuck in traffic at Mumbai Central… that's when Kirdat decided to drive in the opposing lane to move faster. The constables kept communicating with the traffic police using the radio, urging them to clear the road. They kept shouting 'Andar patient hai, emergency hai. Raasta khaali karo'."

"As I saw my uncle resting comfortably in the bed and smile weakly at his family, I was filled with gratitude for the diligence and timely action of the police that saved possibly saved him from a dirty and painful end," Naazneen said.

Police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar applauded the effort on social media. "It is always a pleasure to witness our service being taken a notch higher! Mumbai Police is very happy to have been able to help you, Ashikeen & Naazneen Balsara," he tweeted on Thursday.