By Garima-
A victim of 26/11 terrorist attack, by whom the Ajmal Kasabwas identified during the trial , on Monday moved to Bombay High Court for seeking direction to provide accommodation to her family.
Devika Rotawan , the victim on compassionate grounds also sought assistance for her education. She told about her tuberculosis and her family conditions that her father is over 60 years and bedridden, and her brother, who is suffering from hernia and spinal problems, recently had a surgery.
On November 26, 2008, the victim, who was nine years old at that time, went to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus with her father and brother at 9 p.m. to board a train to Pune. She told in her petition that , “At 9.50 p.m., the family heard a loud explosion so they decided to leave the station. The terrorists were firing indiscriminately at the public and throwing hand grenades. The terrorists were armed with sophisticated lethal weapons and ammunition.”
The petition stated that Kasab fired at her and she got a bullet injury on her right leg. Due to this she had gone through six surgeries within one-and-a-half months and was bedridden for six months. The whole compensation amount was spent on her treatment.
The petition said, “After the incident, State government representatives visited her house and saw that her financial condition was not very good and also they had no permanent source of income. Then it was promised to them to allot a residential accommodation under a scheme for the economic weaker sections and award her monetary compensation for her education.”
Later in 2009, she along with her father made several representations to the State asking for the accommodation and educational aid. She also wrote several letters to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, but never received any reply.
So ,“on July 19, 2020, she made a representation to the Chief Secretary of the State government, and requested for theallotment of residential accommodation on compassionate grounds, but to no avail,” the petition said.