According to reports, Hanifa Zaara, a native of Ambur, approached the all-women police station on Monday complaining that her father did not keep his promise, which he had made to her two years ago, to build a toilet for her.
Zaara, in her complaint, said her father – Esanullah (31) had promised to build a toilet if she got the first rank when she was studying in LKG. She is in class II now and has always stood first. But Esanullah had failed to keep his words.
“He promised to construct a toilet for me two years ago. But he did not do it till date. I am growing and I feel ashamed to defecate in the open. So, I approached the police to complain against my father,” TIO quoted Hanifa Zaara as saying.
The minor girl even had carried around 20 medals and certificates to the police station to prove her academic skills.
Calling her father’s action as “cheating”, the girl demanded that he should give an assurance in writing to build a toilet or should be arrested.
Based on Zaara’s complaint, A Valarmathi, the sub-inspector of the police station, rung her father up at around 3.30 pm asking him to appear at the police station.
“She explained her problems. I immediately contacted the sanitary officer and asked him to help the family build a toilet,” said the sub-inspector.
Esanullah was surprised to find her daughter and wife in the police station with the grievance. However, he said that he is proud of his daughter for standing up.
“I was scared when a woman police officer asked me to come to the station immediately. The minute I stepped into the station and saw my daughter and wife, I was really confused. The police officer then explained the situation to me and asked me to convince my daughter and take her home,” said Esanullah, father of two daughters adding “I have been teaching her to be bold and to approach the police if she faces any problem,” he said.
Speaking about the incident, Zaara’s 26-year-old mother said that Zaara insisted her going to the police station as soon as she returned home after writing her half-yearly exams on Monday.
“Though I tried to dissuade her and said father was facing financial problems as he did not have a job, she had made up her mind. She has been refusing to eat food since Sunday night. So, I went with her,” said Mehareen.
Explaining why he is yet to keep his promise, Esanullah said, “I had submitted petitions to the Ambur municipality twice, seeking financial aid under the Swachh Bharat scheme to build a toilet. However, I am yet to get any reply.”
Hours after the family returned home, and after learning about the incident, the officials of the local body turned up and said they would build a toilet under the central scheme at the possible earliest.