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Singing Policeman's peace plea

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Special constable Kulbinder Rai is known as the bobby with the beat.

The 57-year-old, nicknamed the Singing Policeman, is to release a single as a message to the world after the horrific killing of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

Engineer Kulbinder, of Evington, has recorded the track Rohb in Punjabi but feels it translates into the universal language of peace.

He has recorded the single as a call for calm, and as a tribute to his wife Suhknider who died from pancreatic cancer in 2010.

Kulbinder, who has been a special constable in Leicester for 18 years, said: "I have lost the person who means the most to me in the world. I want people to take time to stop and listen to this song and think about it.

"We are all the same the world over, whatever the colour of our skin. We should just stop fighting and get on with each other.

"The word 'rohb' means influence, pride or ego in Punjabi so I want people to stop thinking about themselves and put others first."

Kulbinder has served in Belgrave as a special constable but is now based in Spinney Hills.

The father-of-two was awarded the Queen's Gold Jubilee medal for outstanding service to the police force in 2002, a long service medal in 2004 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

He said: "I wanted to use the power of music to reach out to the Asian community to address the many negative issues we are suffering from, such as families demanding dowry when young couples get married, male dominance and oppression within the family, individuals showing disrespect for those less better off and what I believe is a breakdown of respect for tradition and family values.

"My message is that we should be good to one another as individuals and not let ego get in the way."

Special Inspector Ash Lodhia said Kulbinder was a respected singer.

He said: "He is known as the Singing Policeman and I have heard him bursting into song as we are out on the beat. He has a good voice and I hope it does well."

The music has been arranged by bhangra composer / musician Kuljit Bhamra and was recorded with a full Mumbai orchestra.

Kulbinder said: "It was wonderful to go to my homeland in the Punjab and record a video and to go to Mumbai to put down the song. I hope people hear the song and like it and maybe heed the words."

Proceeds from the sale of the single, which is to be released through Keda Records on June 24, will go to Cancer Research UK.

Singing Policeman's peace plea


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