New Delhi (Sputnik) — The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has announced cash reward to a policeman who saved the lives of around 400 school students by safely disposing of an artillery shell found at the school premises.
Abhishek Patel, a policeman posted at Surkhi in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, ran with the 10-kg artillery shell for about a kilometer on August 25 before disposing of it.
हेड कांस्टेबल श्री अभिषेक पटेल की कर्तव्यनिष्ठा और अप्रतिम साहस के लिए 50 हज़ार रुपये भेंटकर सम्मानित किया। प्रदेश को ऐसे रत्न पर गर्व है। pic.twitter.com/zKuojNViqa
— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) 28 августа 2017 г.
Local officials said that Patel had responded to an anonymous caller who informed that an unexploded artillery shell was lying in the backyard of the school. After discovering the shell, Patel had the option to wait for the fast response vehicle to reach the spot and defuse the shell.
However, since the nearest fast response vehicle was almost five kilometers away, Patel chose to put his life at risk in order to save the school children.
Meanwhile, a police probe is underway to ascertain how the artillery shell landed in the school premises.