It was 1968.Somanna was the Director General of Police for Karnataka. He was 54, a crusty bachelor, with a terrible temper. A very handsome man, with strong features,tall and quick witted, who did not suffer fools easily. In the course of his career had rubbed off a lot of people the wrong way. Needless to say he had a lot of enemies.
Every day he finished work at around 9 O'clock and drove his own Willy's jeep back to his house from his office near M. G. Road police station to his house at Cook Town in Bangalore. On reaching home, his houseboy of 30 years Kaliah and his wife Devamma, prepared his bath and served him dinner. After which he smoked his cigar, listened to the BBC news on his radio, read a bit and turned in for the night.
It was a cold winter's night, with a bit of fog in early January, when Somanna got into his jeep, wrapping the thick winter coat around him tightly,and started his jeep to drive home. He had been driving for about 20 minutes nearing the area of Commercial street, and decided to take the usual route, near Frazer town, he heard a loud piercing scream. Ahead of him,through the haze he could see three men, carrying what looked like a struggling woman. Somanna drove up to them, and keeping the engine running, pulled up the hand brake of the jeep. He casually got out to survey the scene. In the meantime, all three men had stopped dead in their tracks, still carrying the woman.
Somanna very calmly asked them to let go of the woman and walked up to them so that they could see the police uniform he was wearing. On seeing the jeep and the uniform all three men, let go of the woman and got into their jeep and drove away.
The woman promptly ran and got into Somanna's jeep. Somanna then drove her to his house, not a word was exchanged. On being let in Kaliah and Devamma did not say anything, but on Somanna's instructions, the lady was led into the spare bedroom and given some food to eat and some clothes to wear.
The next morning, the Commissioner was surprised to see Somanna in the office when he arrived. They all went about their work. And at the usual time Somanna returned to his house that night. At around 11.00 pm, the front door bell rang, and Kaliah opened the door for 4 constables and the Deputy Commissioner. They had come to investigate and search the place, based on a complaint that there was missing diamond necklace in the house. The complaint had been made by a woman called Savita Gowda. They found the necklace exactly as they had been told, in the dining room in the big vase there.
Somanna was very calm through out the proceedings, not saying anything. When he went voluntarily to the police station, he asked for the lady to be produced before him, as he needed to see his accuser. It turned out to be the lady he had rescued.
She had accused him of taking the necklace from her, after drugging her and taking advantage of her. Somanna did not respond, and then asked the permission of the Commissioner to cross question her.
Somanna- "Can you please narrate to me the exact circumstances that brought you to my house"
Savita- "You had invited me to dinner"
Somanna-"What did you have for dinner?"
Savita- "I had chops, rice, etc for dinner"
Somanna-"What did I eat for dinner?"
Savita-"Obviously the same food"
Somanna-"Yesterday, where did you spend the night?"
Savita- "In your house, in your room".
Somanna-"When did you leave?"
Savita-"I left in the morning."
Somanna kept quiet, then called his two constables.
Somanna then asked them to tell all present when he had arrived, both constables said that Somanna had returned to the police station at around 10.30 the previous night, and stayed at the police station the whole night. He then called his house help Kaliah and Devamma, and asked them when he had left the house, the previous night. They both replied that he had not eaten dinner at home, but had got into his jeep and gone back to the police station, stating that he did not want any body to think that anything untoward had happened in his house.
The Commissioner apologised to him then barked orders at the Sub Inspector to lock up Savita into the police station.
Walking Somanna to the door, the Commissioner asked him only one question-
"How did you know?"
Somanna replied "Instinct, I have been doing the same route for 11 years and never had any trouble, and when I saw the men, not even put up a fight, I knew there was more than meets the eye."
Every day he finished work at around 9 O'clock and drove his own Willy's jeep back to his house from his office near M. G. Road police station to his house at Cook Town in Bangalore. On reaching home, his houseboy of 30 years Kaliah and his wife Devamma, prepared his bath and served him dinner. After which he smoked his cigar, listened to the BBC news on his radio, read a bit and turned in for the night.
It was a cold winter's night, with a bit of fog in early January, when Somanna got into his jeep, wrapping the thick winter coat around him tightly,and started his jeep to drive home. He had been driving for about 20 minutes nearing the area of Commercial street, and decided to take the usual route, near Frazer town, he heard a loud piercing scream. Ahead of him,through the haze he could see three men, carrying what looked like a struggling woman. Somanna drove up to them, and keeping the engine running, pulled up the hand brake of the jeep. He casually got out to survey the scene. In the meantime, all three men had stopped dead in their tracks, still carrying the woman.
Somanna very calmly asked them to let go of the woman and walked up to them so that they could see the police uniform he was wearing. On seeing the jeep and the uniform all three men, let go of the woman and got into their jeep and drove away.
The woman promptly ran and got into Somanna's jeep. Somanna then drove her to his house, not a word was exchanged. On being let in Kaliah and Devamma did not say anything, but on Somanna's instructions, the lady was led into the spare bedroom and given some food to eat and some clothes to wear.
The next morning, the Commissioner was surprised to see Somanna in the office when he arrived. They all went about their work. And at the usual time Somanna returned to his house that night. At around 11.00 pm, the front door bell rang, and Kaliah opened the door for 4 constables and the Deputy Commissioner. They had come to investigate and search the place, based on a complaint that there was missing diamond necklace in the house. The complaint had been made by a woman called Savita Gowda. They found the necklace exactly as they had been told, in the dining room in the big vase there.
Somanna was very calm through out the proceedings, not saying anything. When he went voluntarily to the police station, he asked for the lady to be produced before him, as he needed to see his accuser. It turned out to be the lady he had rescued.
She had accused him of taking the necklace from her, after drugging her and taking advantage of her. Somanna did not respond, and then asked the permission of the Commissioner to cross question her.
Somanna- "Can you please narrate to me the exact circumstances that brought you to my house"
Savita- "You had invited me to dinner"
Somanna-"What did you have for dinner?"
Savita- "I had chops, rice, etc for dinner"
Somanna-"What did I eat for dinner?"
Savita-"Obviously the same food"
Somanna-"Yesterday, where did you spend the night?"
Savita- "In your house, in your room".
Somanna-"When did you leave?"
Savita-"I left in the morning."
Somanna kept quiet, then called his two constables.
Somanna then asked them to tell all present when he had arrived, both constables said that Somanna had returned to the police station at around 10.30 the previous night, and stayed at the police station the whole night. He then called his house help Kaliah and Devamma, and asked them when he had left the house, the previous night. They both replied that he had not eaten dinner at home, but had got into his jeep and gone back to the police station, stating that he did not want any body to think that anything untoward had happened in his house.
The Commissioner apologised to him then barked orders at the Sub Inspector to lock up Savita into the police station.
Walking Somanna to the door, the Commissioner asked him only one question-
"How did you know?"
Somanna replied "Instinct, I have been doing the same route for 11 years and never had any trouble, and when I saw the men, not even put up a fight, I knew there was more than meets the eye."
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