An autorickshaw driver who rushed two victims to hospital following last fortnight’s Malleswaram blast was given the Good Samaritan Award by the Hosmat hospital and the traffic police.
Indresh G. had rescued Leesha and Rakshita, two Pre-University students, driving them to K.C. General Hospital.
The girls, who were shifted to M.S. Ramaiah Hospital later, are now gearing up for CET test on Wednesday.
Recounting the tumultuous day on April 17, Mr. Indresh (36) said: “I had just dropped a passenger when I heard an ear-shattering blast. I saw a girl lying on the road. Then somebody said about another girl lying unconscious nearby.”
Ignored warnings
Though many passersby warned him it was risky to drive an LPG-powered auto at the blast site, he rushed the two teens to K.C. General Hospital.
“Leesha told me her father’s number and asked me to inform him and so I called up Mr. Doreswamy.”
He was initially terrified when the hospital asked him to sign some admission forms. “I only brought the girls to hospital out of a sense of humanity but was later scared to sign the papers. However, others persuaded me to do so.”
Mr. Indresh stayed put at the hospital until Leesha’s parents arrived.
Ironically, the following day when he went to look up the girls, he was stopped at the gates and turned away. Three days later, he got a call from Mr. Doreswamy. “You are our god,” the latter said when they met.
Golden Hour
On Tuesday, Mr. Indresh was presented a certificate by Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M.A. Saleem, and Thomas Chandy of Hosmat hospital, along with a shawl and a purse. Hosmat authorities said the Good Samaritan Award was to acknowledge the efforts of such selfless people, especially during the Golden Hour.
Previous awardees include cricketer Venkatesh Prasad who had brought a comatose accident victim to Hosmat and one Arul Das, also for a similar gesture.
