Mangaluru cooker bomb explosion survivor discharged after 2 months

The autorickshaw driver, Purushotham Poojari, had sustained serious injuries in the blast, which occurred on November 19 last year at Garodi in Mangaluru. He was admitted to the hospital on the same day. Poojari had sustained 30 per cent burn injuries and was in the ICU and later shifted to the general ward.

The victim of last year’s cooker bomb blast in Mangaluru was discharged from the hospital on Saturday, people close to the developments said.

The victim of last year’s cooker bomb blast in Mangaluru was discharged from the hospital on Saturday. (Agencies/Representative use)

The autorickshaw driver, Purushotham Poojari, had sustained serious injuries in the blast, which occurred on November 19 last year at Garodi in Mangaluru. He was admitted to the hospital on the same day. Poojari had sustained 30 per cent burn injuries and was in the ICU and later shifted to the general ward.

Though he was discharged from the hospital, he has not been able to walk without help, and the doctors have advised a month of bed rest and said that it takes at least a year to be recovered fully, above-cited people said.

Poojari’s elder daughter, Chitrakshi, who has an ESI cover, said the state government had announced that it would bear the cost of treatment, which exceeded ₹7 lakh but did not provide any help.

“State home minister Araga Jnanendra gave ₹50,000, power minister S V Sunil Kumar gave ₹25,000 from their own pockets for treatment of Poojari. We are waiting for the government aid,” Chitrakshi said.

She said that the state home minister promised to bear all the expenses, but did not bother releasing a single rupee.

“Treatment of my father cost more to buy medicines. We have no earning member in the family. My marriage has been fixed to be held in May this year. The family is desperately waiting for compensation. Now the autorickshaw, which was a lifeline for all of us, is rusting at the police station,” she said.

The Guru Beladingalu Foundation (GBF) took up the renovation of Poojari’s ancestral house for ₹5.5 lakh, which will be completed in the next month. The family has been staying at a rented house in Ujjodi.

“The family is staying in Ujjodi now till renovation is over. The state government should sanction the money at least now to the family,” GBF president R Padmaraj said. “Poojari sustained deep injuries on both his hands, it would take at least a year to recover. Poojari has two daughters. Another one is still studying degree and waiting for help,” he added.

The accused, Mohammed Sharik, who recovered from his injuries, was shifted to the Bengaluru jail by the NIA on December 17. He is now under judicial custody.