The Bombay High Court today directed the Chief Medical Superintendent of Railways Hospital here to examine a 23-year-old woman who lost her leg after falling off a moving train while thwarting a theft last year.
"We are concerned with her treatment. Please advice them (hospital authorities) to give proper treatment," a division bench of Justices V M Kanade and K S Shriram told the lawyer appearing for Railways.
The court was hearing a petition filed by the victim, Bhavika Mehta, her father Kiran Mehta and brother Rahul Mehta.
According to the petition, the trio had boarded a Mumbai- bound train from Amritsar on June 5 last year. In the night, a man tried to snatch Bhavika's purse from under the head. Awakened by the pull, Bhavika raised an alarm and tried pulling back her purse.
When Kiran and Rahul woke up, the robber ran towards the door while holding on to the purse. Bhavika followed the robber. At the door, the thief lost balance and caught hold of Bhavika's hand which resulted in losing her balance too.
When Bhavika fell out of the train, Kiran and Rahul too jumped out to save her. While Bhavika's limb was severed below the knee, her father and brother sustained minor injuries.
"We rushed to the nearest Ambala railway station where no police personnel was present. We were sent to the Ambala civil hospital more than two hours after the incident. Bhavika was later shifted to Chandigarh hospital. On June 7, Bhavika was brought to Mumbai for further treatment," the petition states.
It claims that till date the Mehtas have incurred expenditure of Rs three lakh and require over Rs 13 lakh more for prosthetic limb for Bhavika.
"Till date no Railway official has contacted us. We sent two notices to them on June 25 and July 10, 2012 seeking medical expenses but there was no response," the petition alleges.
The court today directed Bhavika to meet the Chief Medical Superintendent of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Railway Hospital in south Mumbai on August 2. The Railways shall on the next date of hearing, after two weeks inform the court as to what treatment can be offered to Bhavika.
