Boy thrown out of running train in Orissa, loses limbs

Bhubaneshwar, Jul 3: In a shocking incident, a 13-year-old boy lost his right hand and leg after he was allegedly pushed out of a running train by a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) just because he refused to hand over a 50-rupee note found by him in a train.

Shankar Singh, a resident of Veda Vyas slum colony, used to earn his livelihood by sweeping the floor of trains when they halted at the Rourkela railway station. Police said the boy found a 50-rupee note while sweeping a second class compartment of the Mumbai-Howarah Geetanjali Express at the station on Wednesday,July 2.

The TTE on duty claimed that the note belonged to him and ordered the boy to give the money to him. When Shankar refused, it led to a tussle between the two. In a fit of rage, the TTE allegedly pushed the boy out of the running train.

The boy fell on the tracks and his right leg and hand were severely injured.

Later, a group of boys engaged in similar work found him writhing in pain about 100 metres away from the station and, with the help of some local people, got him admitted to the Rourkela Government Hospital.

Shankar was shifted to the Ispat General Hospital, Rourkela, after his condition deteroriated.

Meanwhile, the district administration announced to bear all medical expenses of the boy.

The GRP registered a case based on a complaint made by Station Superintendent Himanshu Kar.

The Railway officials also directed the GRP to initiate an inquiry.

After the incident, hundreds of local people, led by Janakalyan Pratisthan president Narendra Tripathy, also former Rourkela Muncipality Chairman, held a demonstration in front of the railway station, demanding action against the TTE.

The agitators relented after the railway authorities promised to hold a parade of all TTEs and take action against the culprit.

UNI