Photos: After 12 years, 7/11 Mumbai blast victim returns to stand on his feet

Mumbai train bombings were a series of seven bomb blasts that took place in the city on the Suburban Railway on July 11, 2006. Kamlesh Rajbhar, 32, then a paani-puri vendor outside Mahim station lost both his legs during the 7/11 terror attack. But after 12 years, his desire to stand forced him to return back to the city of dreams. For him, getting new artificial limbs was not a priority as all he wanted was to build his life anew.

Updated on: Jul 11, 2018 1:27 PM IST

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A series of blasts ripped through packed Mumbai local trains on July 11, 2006, killing 188 people and wounding over 800. Kamlesh Rajbhar, 32, was one of them. 12 years since Rajbhar lost both his legs in the 7/11 terror blast, he revisited the city of dreams once again-- to stand back. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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Rajbhar looks at the blast victim’s memorial outside the Mahim railway station. The blasts were a first-of-their-kind in the history of India and brought the lifeline of the country’s financial capital to a grinding halt. The explosions were so powerful that they ripped through the double-layered steel roof and sides of the suburban train compartments. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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Then a paani-puri vendor outside Mahim station, life took a complete turn for Rajbhar after the deadly attack that forced him to return to his village in Uttar Pradesh with a pair of artificial limbs and a bleak future. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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The desire to stand on his feet forced him to take a train back to Mumbai. After arriving the first thing he did was to visit the Ottobock clinic in Chembur which helped him with the artificial limbs. The officials at the center were surprised as how he managed to walk in worn-out limbs for more than 11 years, considering that the prosthetics need upkeep every five years. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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The doughty-spirited Rajbhar practices to walk on with his new pair of prosthetic legs at the clinic. For him getting new artificial limbs is hardly a priority, all he wants is a little hand-holding to march ahead in life. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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Rajbhar revisits his home in Dharavi. Owner of a small shop back in the village, Rajbhar said a debt of Rs 47,000 which he had taken for the artificial limbs is still pending completion. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

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After getting the new pair of prosthetic legs Rajbhar returned to his village in Uttar Pradesh while keeping the old ones as well to preserve as standby. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)