Tamil Nadu: 17-year-old national-level judo player’s foot amputated after electric pole falls on him

MADURAI: The dreams of a 17-year-old national-level judo player from Madurai were shattered within seconds when an electric pole, which was being erected by Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) employees on the roadside, accidentally fell off a crane and crushed his foot on Wednesday. While Pirathi Vigneshwaran can take heart that his swift reflexes saved his life, the boy’s severely injured foot had to be amputated, much to the shock of his family and friends.

The incident happened in the afternoon when Vigneshwaran, a first year engineering student at a private college in Coimbatore, was walking with a friend near a bus stop at Kochadai here.

He was crossing a spot where TNEB employees were replacing a concrete electric pole. As the the pole was being moved using a crane, it suddenly came off the hook. Vigneshwaran moved swiftly to evade the structure, but couldn’t get his foot out of the way. He suffered fractures to the left ankle.

Vigneshwaran’s friend, who escaped unhurt, and others rushed him to Government Rajaji Hospital in an ambulance. The judo player was treated for his injuries, but doctors were forced to amputate his foot due to the severity of the injury.

“There were neither signboards nearby nor any warning from the TNEB workers. The spot was not cordoned off with barricades,” said Theertham, Vigneshwaran’s mother who has a physical disability.

Judo dreams shattered, family demands govt job

A single mother, Theertham has been raising Vigneshwaran and his younger brother, a school student.

“He loved judo and wanted to play at the highest level. Now, how can he play the game? The employees’ negligence has cost my son dearly,” Theertham said.

Vigneshwaran had got an engineering seat through the sports quota after completing Class XII.

“He was looking forward to taking part in a judo championship in August and getting selected for the Khelo India programme. He was determined to win medals representing India one day. Now, that has become impossible,” said Bruno, his friend and a judo player himself.

Meanwhile, based on Theertham’s complaint, the SS Colony police booked the crane operator and Tamil Nadu Electricity Board officials under sections 336 and 338 of the IPC for causing grievous hurt and endangering human lives.

His family and friends have demanded that the Tamil Nadu government provide him the best medical treatment so that he can walk again, and a government job.