CHENNAI: Pedestrians and commuters passing through the busy Spencer's junction on
Anna Salai
invariably break into a smile when they spot S Rajesh.
The
traffic cop
performs a range of adroit movements that give his audience a momentary respite from the hassles of navigating through the
choked city streets
.
Many road users even stop to take selfies with the 35-year-old who was posted to the traffic wing three months ago. Rajesh says his work came in for special praise after cyclone Vardah when many traffic signals went on the blink.
“It makes me proud when people offer words of appreciation. I am enjoying each and every minute of my job and do my best to make road users happy,“ he said. Rajesh is an animal lover too and recently rescued a small cat at the Spencer's signal and feeds it every day. He also feeds more than 40 stray dogs living near his police quarters in
Royapuram
and
Kasimedu
. “I spend at least ` 50 to `100 daily to feed animals. I feel bad if I see them starving,“ said Rajesh.
His superiors give him the liberty to express himself.
“This has yielded a sense of discipline among most road users. People wait for his command to pass through the signal,“ said a senior police officer.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.A Selvaraj, who has been working as a crime reporter in Tamil Nad...
Read MoreA Selvaraj, who has been working as a crime reporter in Tamil Nadu since 1994, has several sensational scoops to his credit. In 1998, he exposed a cheating racket led by Divya Mathaji and her followers in Tiruchi. He broke several stories which caught nation’s attention, including the suicide of 2G scam accused Sadiq Batcha.
Read Less