Thrissur: Rameeraj can neither run nor walk fast. Climbing stairs brings him unbearable pain. 

Despite all these, for the past one and a half years, he has been making regular visits to police stations and courts without fail, pursuing a legal battle with the hope that justice, though delayed, will not be denied.

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Ironically, the pothole on the PWD road that caused his fall and changed his life forever still lies unrepaired.

Rameeraj lost ₹5 lakh on medical treatment and suffered business losses amounting to ₹30 lakh. Yet, he has received neither compensation nor justice.

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The 39-year-old, a resident of Anjamkallu Vaikkattil in Engandiyur, met with a life-altering accident in December 2023. While riding along the Tippu Sultan Road in Vadanappilly, his motorcycle hit a deep pit, throwing him off balance. He landed with such force that the bone in his left knee broke and pierced through the skin.

pothole-pwd-road
Flooded pothole on Tipu Sultan Road where Rameeraj had met with the accident. Photo: Special arrangement

After a month-long hospital stay and nine more months of complete bed rest, he slowly began to stand on his feet again. His broken leg had to be fixed with three surgical screws, implants that will remain in his body for life.

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The treatment, carried out at a private hospital, cost him ₹5 lakh. Earlier, with ₹30 lakh he had saved during his years abroad, Rameeraj had launched a homestay business in Kanhalloor, Munnar. But confined to bed after the accident, he watched helplessly as his dream venture collapsed.

He filed complaints with the police, arraigning the Public Works Department (PWD), responsible for the damaged road, as well as the Kerala Water Authority and the District Collector as accused. The police, however, registered a case only after he filed complaints four times.

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