he only son of an ailing octogenarian couple called up the Howrah police commissionerate from California, requesting delivery of essentials to his parents.

With Shibpur under complete lockdown, the elderly residents of Ram Mohan Mukherjee Lane had no way to make purchases.

Ram Shankar Das, 87, is an Alzheimer’s patient who suffered a heart attack in September last year. His 83-year-old wife, Shanti, had survived a heart attack in October 2010 and was advised bed rest after she fractured her spinal cord in February.

A nurse and a cook hired by the couple have not been able to report for work since March 22, forcing Shanti to cook.

The couple’s only link to the outside world is a landline — on which they can only receive calls because of a technical fault. Their son Anjan calls up several times a day to find out about their health.

Anjan’s childhood friend, Sanjoy Bose, visited the couple occasionally till the police tightened restrictions in the area.

“My father stepped out once without a mask to buy groceries and forgot his way home. I keep calling up at different hours all day, trying to understand their needs,” Anjan told Metro from California. “My parents were living in a state worse than a prison. My mother couldn’t take her regular injections. My father couldn’t visit his doctor for cardiac check-up. I could make out from their conversation that supplies were running out.”

That is when Anjan decided to reach out to the police for help.

“Anjan narrated the plight of his parents and requested help. He gave us his parents’ address and we exchanged numbers. Within a few minutes, he WhatsApped a list of items that had to be delivered,” said Asoke Nath Chattopadhayay, assistant commissioner of police, Howrah.

The police have been helping several elderly couples living alone across the city during the lockdown.

A police officer from Shibpur traffic guard bought the items that Anjan’s parents needed on Sunday. Sandip Guha, an assistant sub-inspector of police, delivered rice, flour, wheat, pulses, spices and even two packs of mishti doi to the couple.

“They blessed me profusely. I felt so humbled,” Sandip said. “I have assured the couple that I would check on them again.”

The police have also issued passes to Anjan’s friend so that he can visit the couple.

“I can’t thank the police enough,” Anjan said.