Indore’s ‘moonwalking’ traffic cop turns a style icon

Ranjeet Singh is no Michael Jackson but he ‘moonwalks’ with the same finesse as the king of pop, waltzing on busy intersections of Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital. It is his duty as well as passion.

Meet the dancing cop of Indore, an iconic traffic policeman who is inspiring his junior colleagues to adopt the ‘dancing’ routine to manage traffic on the city’s bustling, and often chaotic, roads.

One of his most famous routine is the ‘moonwalk’, a dance style made famous by the late US pop singer and entertainer.

“Instead of walking back I do the moonwalk which sometimes amuses commuters. That, in a way, encourages people to follow traffic rules,” he told Hindustan Times.

At least three other police traffic police personnel have adopted Singh’s style. And Singh is even training the juniors into perfecting their craft.

Sumant Singh Kachhawa, who joined the force recently, said he was inspired by Singh from his college days.

“I used to observe Ranjeet bhai during my college days and wanted to be like him. I instantly approached him for some tips as soon as I got my job. It's real fun to control traffic in that manner and at no point of time I feel bored,” said the 22-year-old cop who hails from Hoshangabad near Bhopal.

Another young follower is Mahendra Singh Tomar.

Deployed at Palasia Sqaure, another busy intersection of the city, Tomar considers that commuters get inspired in the way he goes about his job.

“One should leave an impact in whatever he or she does and I bring the same while I am signaling people on roads,” said the cop who has been working for the past six years in Indore.

Even the higher officers of the force are quite impressed by Ranjeet Singh’s efforts.

“He is not only an inspiration to constables but for his seniors as well. His style of controlling traffic attracts everyone. He has been exceptional in sharing his style with his colleagues,” said Anjana Tiwari, additional superintendent of police (traffic).

Ranjeet Singh, however, blamed the people for the traffic mess in the city.

“There are commuters who don’t wish to follow any instruction. Our job is to tell them but in the end it is their choice,” said the policeman who has a large following on social networking site Facebook.

Watch: Indore's 'moonwalking' traffic cop in action