Atithi Devo Bhava: Now tagline of Meghalaya police

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Jan 2: The adage “Atithi Devo Bhava” which simply means – consider the guest as God has found its place in the tagline of Meghalaya Police.

The recent effort of the state police to improve the treatment of the foreign tourists by helping them when in trouble has helped brand building the state.

The state in recent years is receiving a substantial amount of foreign tourists who are visiting the state due to the popularity Meghalaya has gained as a favorite tourist destition.

According to police, two American tourists were on their way to Shillong from Guwahati Airport, for celebrating New Year. However, the two American tourists indentified as Olivia and Jennifer lost their GPS system after on its way to Shillong.

They realized that they had left their GPS system in a white vehicle while checking into a hotel in the city.

In this connection the two tourists approached BK Mishra, Officer In-charge, Laban Police Station.

Mishra immediately got down to task and showed them pictures of the Sedan vehicle plying on the route and came to learned that the vehicle was a white Swift Dezire.

Mishra, later contacted taxi unions, highway police posts to enquire about the vehicle but even after two days there was no trace of the vehicle that contained the GPS system.

Determined to help the two tourists the police officer contacted more drivers plying in the route on the third day and his efforts paid off when on the fourth day, he was informed that driver found objects in his vehicle which turned out to be the GPS system of the tourists which was later handed to them.

Earlier, in December 2015, the personnel of Sadar police station helped a German couple in tracking down a mobile phone which they had left in a taxi while travelling from Dawki to Shillong.

They were also later accommodated in a hotel by the personnel from Sadar police station since they were facing difficulty in getting accommodation as per their budget.