A police constable’s job can require putting in long hours, leading them to constantly come up with new ways to keep themselves entertained during their breaks.

Perhaps that explains why Chandrakant Hutgi, a constable in Karnataka’s Hubli turned his baton into a flute, which he used to play folk songs. The performance came to people’s attention after Hutgi posted a video of himself playing the instrument.

“Making musical instruments and playing them have been my hobby for long. I turned the fibre lathi, given to me for policing, into a flute to play folk songs when free from work,” he told IANS.

Hutgi’s talent and innovation also earned him a special cash award from the Additional Director General of Police, Bhaskar Rao, in Bengaluru and recognition from the state police department. Rao, too, posted a video of one of Hutgi’s performances on his Twitter account.

“To kill boredom or break monotony, I play the flute and entertain my colleagues after duty hours,” Hutgi said. “Since the video clip went viral earlier in the day, I have been getting calls from colleagues, friends and relatives and congratulatory messages,” he added.