IG’s wife Missing Earring Story : How an SHO Turned a Blunder into a Blessing

Missing Earring Story: There is the now classic police anecdote that is often told when the debate on methods and ethics in police practice is the topic. The story involves an Inspector General, his wife, and an impressively resourceful Station House Officer.

It all started when the IG and his wife came back home from a trip out. The wife found that one of her earrings was missing. Whether she lost it, misplaced it, or it had been stolen, she did not know. Upset, she demanded that her husband bring it back that very day.

Obliging her demand, the IG summoned his subordinates—an SP (Superintendent of Police) and an SHO. He issued a direct order: the missing earring must be found by the end of the day. Failure, he warned, would have dire consequences.

While the SP expressed his hesitations about being sure of success, the SHO reassured the IG confidently that the missing earring would surely be recovered. Still, a practical question arose on the part of the SHO as to how the missing earring would be identified. To address this, the IG handed over the remaining earring as a reference.

The SHO left for the town, thinking about his plan. He called the local jeweler and ordered to create an identical copy of the earring. It took them five hours, and they finally handed over the same perfect copy to the SHO.

Equipped with the duplicate, the SHO returned to the IG’s residence. To make the situation seem real, he also carried a “suspect, whom he had managed to coerce into playing the role of the thief. With the earring and the supposed culprit in tow, the SHO declared victoriously that the stolen item had been recovered and the thief apprehended.

The IG and his wife were overjoyed. The SHO seemed efficient, so much so that he was given more postings and accolades. Rumors of favoritism began to do the rounds in the department.

Months down the line, the IG’s wife was organizing her wardrobe. She found the original earring tucked inside a blouse. Dumbfounded, she realized that the earring had never gone missing after all.

Enraged, the IG summoned the SHO to come and explain how he had managed to recover an earring that had never ever been missing. The SHO, quick-witted as ever, confessed fabricating this recovery. However, he defended his actions with a rather well-rehearsed argument.

Huzoor,” he said, “you and madam were under immense stress that day. I couldn’t bear to see you both upset. The SP had already given up, so I took matters into my own hands. When I brought back the earring, the joy on your faces was worth everything. Your happiness is more valuable to me than anything else.”

The IG was impressed by the SHO’s loyalty and quick thinking, and so chose to forgive him.

This funny yet thought-provoking tale has stood the test of time as a testament to the ingenuity and audacity of law enforcement officers and also a cautionary reminder of how the lines blur between resourcefulness and ethics.