Mumbai: 

SORRY state of affairs: Kiritbhai Gada rushed Savitridevi Pushkar to Bhagwati Hospital, Borivli, after he found her lying on the railway tracks between Kandivli and Borivli. He lost his cool after she was not given any medical attention for 45 minutes, even though she was weeping in pain. Pic/Atul kamble

What happened to Kirtibhai Gada last night is why most people don't come forward to help accident victims in this city. The Andheri-based businessman was put behind bars and made to pay a fine for rescuing an accident victim and demanding that she get immediate medical attention.

At around 10.30 pm, Gada was travelling home on a Borivli-bound train when he saw Savitridevi Pushkar lying unconscious on the tracks a little after Kandivli. He said, "I immediately pulled the chain. A couple of labourers and locals came forward to help me."

The men placed Savitridevi inside the ladies compartment and the train started. After reaching Borivli, Gada realised that despite the motorman having informed the authorities at the station about the victim, no help had been organised. As the emergency ambulance was missing too, he rushed Savitridevi to Bhagwati Hospital in an autorickshaw.

And that was when Gada paid the price of being a Good Samaritan. "She was weeping in pain, but there was no help from the doctors for nearly 45 minutes. I lost my temper and screamed at them. Instead of helping her out, they handed me over to the police saying I was creating a ruckus as I was drunk," he said.

The cops from MHB Colony police not only detained Gada without hearing his side of the story, but also sent him behind bars. They even subjected him to an alcohol test.

After two hours in the lock-up, Gada finally paid a fine of Rs 1,250 for "threatening and abusing an on-duty medical officer and not allowing him to perform his duty".

A cop from the MHB Colony police station said, "We found minor traces of alcohol in his blood. He will be produced before court today."

When MiD DAY spoke to Gada this morning, he seemed dejected at the turn of events. He said, "I had to go to jail for trying to do something good. I'll have to think twice before helping anyone again."

When MiD DAY asked Savitridevi about the incident, she said that she wasn't able to recollect anything. Her husband Pushkar, who learnt about the accident later, said, "I don't know whether she was crossing the tracks or fell from the train." Savitridevi sustained a minor leg fracture and severe bruising.