New Delhi, Jun 2 (PTI) Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Thursday appreciated a woman sub-inspector for pinning down a man within an hour of him stealing a scooter and also announced a cash reward of Rs 20,000, saying she has set an example for other young officers to break gender stereotypes.

On Wednesday, PTI had reported about 25-year-old Preeti Saini who chased the thief in the congested lanes of Bhajanpura here and pinned him down by tracing the live location of the victim's mobile phone which was inside the boot of the stolen two-wheeler.

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Lauding Saini for her efforts, Asthana told PTI that SI Saini has set an example for other young officers to break the stereotype and motivate others to accept challenges and be proud of khaki uniforms.

"Women in police undergo the same training as their male counterparts, however when it comes to posting, many a time they face discrimination. It has been my endeavour to break this stereotyping and post women officers in the field at all ranks.

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"I have observed that they are very sincere and hardworking and give their best on the job. SI Preeti has set an example for other young officers to break the stereotype and motivate others to accept challenges and be proud of khaki," Asthana said.

The police commissioner has announced that Saini and her team members will be rewarded for their efforts. SI Saini would receive a reward of Rs 20,000, SI Ashok would also get Rs 20,000 and constable Sovran Rs 15,000. All three of them would also be given commendation certificate along with a momento of Delhi Police.

Saini said both her father and her sister are CRPF inspectors and this always inspired her to take challenges that comes after donning the 'khaki'.

Saini, who was part of the raiding team for the first time, told PTI, "Since my childhood, I dreamt of wearing khaki. I wanted to stand next to my dad so that he never feels that his daughter is not less than a son. I feel that there is nothing that we women cannot do. When you are dealing with a situation, you just need confidence in yourself that you can do it. You will have people to motivate you and assist you. Take the positive energy."

Saini said she is not someone who wants to sit in the office just because of a few challenges that she may face later in her career be it with marriage or motherhood.

"I don't want to stop myself. I don't want to take the negative vibes and instead focus on continuing with my field job depending on the post assigned to me," she added.

The SI is thankful to her colleagues for encouraging her. "This was the first time that I was part of a raiding team and my colleagues Ashok sir and Sovran guided me on tactics and also ensured that I was safe while trying to catch hold of the accused."

Delhi Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) DCP Suman Nalwa said, "I feel very proud that our younger generation is doing so well. They are not confined by the general social norms that women are limited to certain areas. Right now the environment within my organisation is very conducive for women to work to their full potential."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)