BENGALURU: For the past three days, Sringeri cops have had curious townsfolk peeping into their windows and making long stops outside their station. It's not a high profile case that's caught the attention of the residents of this religious centre, but the cops themselves. Personnel from the station have now taken to learning Sanskrit Thirty-five personnel attached to Sringeri police station, including 15 from the anti-naxal force, have now registered for year-long Sanskrit classes, which began on November 15. Taught by senior Sanskrit students from Sankrit Bharati college, the first 10 days will be a workshop on Sanskrit and the cops will later even be taught shlokas (couplets of Sanskrit verses) and hymns.Classes are being conducted for at least an hour on all weekdays. The college, based in Bengaluru, has a branch at Sringeri.Police said their interest to learn the ancient langua ge was piqued after students from the college told them about Aparadha Shastra ( criminology ) from one of the Sanskrit writings. The students had told police that it would help them understand the psychology of criminals better. "Even during my college days, one faculty would refer to Chanakya. I was interested in knowing more about Chanakyaneeti, but could not as I had no knowledge on Sanskrit," said Sringeri police inspector Pramod Kumar.A senior constable said he had been listening to many of these hymns and shlokas every day but never understood their meaning. "Most of the staff spend time inside the temple. Whenever VIPs come to perform rituals, we accompanying them. Now, we too can understand what the priests chant," he said.A few staffers now feel that their families too should learn Sanskrit. "It is good if our children too," another constable said.

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