The incident occurred on Sunday night, when Girish M, a police-man, discovered the open manhole while passing by in Sector 3 of the HSR layout. After spotting the manhole, the policeman jumped out of his jeep and covered up the opening with a large stone, in order to prevent any possible disaster. His picture now has gone viral after a passerby filmed his efforts. 

In a country where open manholes can pose a direct threat to the public, this Bengaluru cop took matters into his own hands and was lauded by his seniors and the internet. 

The police officer’s efforts went viral on Monday morning, earning him a lot of praise and appreciation, from senior officers and even Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-east), Isha Pant.

When Girish spoke to The Times of India, he said he felt it was his duty as a police officer to cover up the manhole. 

People should be aware of such hazards. I think we should not wait for civil agencies, but volunteer and tackle such issues ourselves. 

DCP (South-east) Isha Pant herself spoke to TOI about Girish’s efforts, saying

Girish saw the manhole and acted quickly. We shouldn’t wait for anyone. Girish acted like a responsible citizen. 

Girish’s efforts were also appreciated on Twitter.