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Cheque in hand, Malti now needs a bank account

In JJ Hospital with her limb straddled in steel rods, Malti Gupta holds on to the Rs 50,000 cheque. Gupta, from Patna, had never felt the need for a bank account as she never had enough money to put in a bank.

Updated on: Dec 11, 2008, 23:11:27 IST
Hindustan Times | By , Mumbai
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She will finally have a bank account at the age of 68.

HT Image
HT Image

In JJ Hospital with her limb straddled in steel rods, Malti Gupta holds on to the Rs 50,000 cheque. Gupta, from Patna, had never felt the need for a bank account as she never had enough money to put in a bank.

She was at CST with her son Vijay, waiting to board a train back to Patna, when the terrorists sprayed bullets randomly. She saw her son succumb to gunshots and she suffered multiple fractures to her left leg.

As she held the cheque on Wednesday, she wondered if the money would be enough? “I would hate to become a burden on my other son, who works as a fridge mechanic in Patna and does not have a fixed income,” she said.

Malti’s daughter, Lalita, has come to take care of her. “My brother will take care of her but what about these injuries, which will not let her lead a normal, healthy live ever,” she asked.

“How many years can Rs 50,000 last? The government should take care of her.”

Though the government is providing free medical care to Malti, the family is worried about the medical expenses when they go back to Bihar.

At the moment, Malti’s younger son Bablu is busy trying to open a bank account so that they can at least deposit the cheque she got more than a week ago.

“We cannot give them cash. Opening a bank account is easy. But if any one has difficulty to doing so, we are willing to assist,” M. Ramesh Kumar, principal secretary, relief and rehabilitation, Maharashtra government, told HT.

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