Mumbai: Mayur Shelke, a pointsman with Central Railway who was hailed as a hero for risking his own life to save a child at a Mumbai station, is earning plaudits online once again. This time, for donating a share of his award money to the very child he had saved.
Shelke took social media by storm earlier this week after a surveillance video shared by Indian Railways went viral. The video showed him running towards an incoming train. Without any hesitation Shelke plunged into action and rescued the six-year-old boy by lifting him on to the platform seconds before a train arrived at Vangani station in Thane district.
Shelke’s act of bravery earned him praise from Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and he was felicitated for exceptionally courageous act. Central Railway’s Divisional Railway Manager and staff rewarded him with 50,000 rupees. Now, he announced that he will donate half the money to the boy.
“I’ll give half of the amount, given to me as token of appreciation, for that child’s welfare and education. I came to know that his family isn’t financially strong. So I decided this,” Shelke told news agency ANI on April 22. The CCTV footage showed a visually-impaired woman carrying a heavy rucksack walking on the platform when her son accompanying her suddenly stumbled and fall onto the railway tracks below.
“These are difficult times of Covid-19 pandemic and all those who wish to donate money, hand over cheques to me can offer the money to the mother and the child or any other needy in these times,” he had said earlier in an appeal on social media.
As the news spread about his donation, his name once again started to trend on social media platforms, with many saluting him for his thoughtful gesture.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Shelke, who has worked with the railways for five years, said initially he didn’t even inform his family about his daring act. “I did not inform them for two days. But today the video went viral and they called me up. At first my mother scolded me, but later she said she is proud of what I did. My wife got scared too, but she is happy now.” He lives in Neral with his parents, wife and 10-day-old son.
Source: indianexpress.com