Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.
The police ________ mute spectators to the entire incident which took place right outside the KEM hospital.

Correct option is C

The correct option to fill in the blank is (c) were.
Explanation: The noun “police” is a collective noun but is always treated as plural in standard British English when referring to the members of the force. So it takes a plural verb.
(Hindi meaning – पुलिस मूक दर्शक थीं...)
Example: The police were investigating the case thoroughly.
Grammatical Rule Used:
· Collective nouns like police, people, cattle take plural verbs when referring to individuals in the group.
Why other options are incorrect:
· (a) was: Incorrect – singular verb used with plural noun.
· (b) are: Present tense; context of sentence is past.
· (d) is: Incorrect – singular verb; also wrong tense.
Information Booster:
· Even though “police” looks singular, it always behaves like a plural noun in usage: “The police are arresting the criminals.”