On 26/11/08,Devika Rotawan, a 9-year-old girl was going to Pune to meet her eldest brother Bharat Kumar Rotawan along with her father Natwarlal Rotawan and Brother Jayesh Kumar Rotawan.
They went to Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (CST) at around 9 pm to catch a train to Pune. At around 9:50 while waiting for the train they heard a sound of explosion after which they decided to go back to their home. The moment they were leaving the station Devika Rotawan was hit by a bullet on her right leg and she fell unconscious because of the bleeding. She was taken to St. George Hospital where she was operated. In a span of a month and a half, she was operated about 6 times and was bedridden for 6 months after which also she was not able to walk properly.
The representatives of State Government and Central Government visited where she was residing and realized that her financial condition is very poor, they promised to give her and her family a residential accommodation under Economically Weaker Section (EWS) scheme and award for her education. She was also given monetary compensation which was spent on her medical expenses.
While the trial for Mohammad Ajmal Kasab was going, Devika Rotawan was examined by the Sessions Court judge as she was the key eyewitness. Her father was also examined. She identified the accused as the person who was firing at Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (CST) station and on the testimony of both, the accused was convicted and was sentenced to death.
Devika and her father wrote a number of letters to the PMO and Chief Minister seeking their help but no response was ever made. On 19/07/20 she represented before the Chief Secretary of the Government of Maharashtra, but no response was made by them also.
Finally, she has filed a writ of mandamus in Bombay High Court seeking accommodations for her family by the state government under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) scheme and also to make provisions for her education.
She has mentioned all the facts in the petition as to how and what happened and why she has filed this petition
In the petition, she contended that there should be law-related for the victims of terrorist attacks to provide them rehabilitation.
She mentioned in the petition that after the 26/11 attack the government promised accommodations but as the time passed no response is made to her. She also said that her father is almost 60 yrs old and they have no permanent source of income, her brother is suffering from problems related to his spinal cord for which he has been operated thrice and she herself is diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Because of such financial condition, Devika was forced to leave her education just after she passed 12th. She has thus sought directions to respondents to make provisions for her education on compassionate grounds and provide her and her family with accommodation under the EWS quota.
