Thursday, January 1, 2026
ADVT 
India

12-Year-old Boy Branded As 'Devil' For Having 'Big Hands'

IANS, 11 Aug, 2017 01:28 PM
    Tarik, a 12-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh has been suffering from a mysterious condition of ' big hands' since birth, that made the village folks term him a 'Devil.'
     
     
    Tarik works on a tea stall and lives with his older brother.
     
     
    According to his aunt Pushpa, his hands were always big, and "as he started growing, his hands got bigger" too.
     
     
    Now, as long as 12 inches, his hands have prevented him from doing even the simple tasks. His daily needs like bathing, dressing, and eating are taken care of by his older brother, Hargyan.
     
     
    "When his father was alive he took him to the local doctors a lot. But his father passed away and he only has his mother now, so he can't get any treatment", added the aunt.
     
     
    His neighbours, believing, it to be a curse, have labelled him as a " Devil". The boy has also been a target of bullying.
     
     
    "They don't know it's a medical condition and it can be cured," said Tarik, adding that his family's lack of money "doesn't mean it can't be cured".
     
    Tarik wanted to study, but was refused admission by school authorities.
     
     
    His brother said, "The school authorities said they could not take Tarik as his huge hands will scare other kids. He was denied admission in almost every school."
     
     
    Multiple appointments with local doctors haven't made a difference yet.
     
     
    Dr Pawan Kumar Gandhi said, "Tarik's problem is actually a mystery to us. We've never seen a patient with this before. I have seen a few similar cases but they had Elephant Foot disease, his condition seems to be similar to that."
     
     
    Hargyan expressed his disappointment over local doctors having no sophisticated equipment, and the lack of money for a good hospital, "Every single doctor suggested to get Tarik a proper treatment. But for us there is no way. He has to stay like this till we have some money for the treatment."
     
     
    While the 12-year old hopes for a better treatment, his tragic tale has caught the eye of many international media houses including DailyMotion, Mirror, and MSN, who recently covered his story.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Punjab Congress Misses Its Deadline As AAP, Akalis Announce Candidates

    Punjab Congress Misses Its Deadline As AAP, Akalis Announce Candidates
    While assembly elections are likely to be held in the last week of January or early February, as per Election Commission of India officials, the Congress is still grappling with the names of its candidates for the 117 constituencies.

    Punjab Congress Misses Its Deadline As AAP, Akalis Announce Candidates

    WATCH: In Emotional Speech, Modi Defends Currency Spike

    WATCH: In Emotional Speech, Modi Defends Currency Spike
    In an emotional speech to parliament members from his ruling BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday vehemently defended the demonetisation move, saying it was done for the benefit of the people.

    WATCH: In Emotional Speech, Modi Defends Currency Spike

    Delhi Man, 35, Held For Raping 3-Year-Old

    Delhi Man, 35, Held For Raping 3-Year-Old
    Accused Birbal, who works as a labourer, is a neighbour of the victim. He was arrested from his residence in Harijan Basti in north Delhi, they said.

    Delhi Man, 35, Held For Raping 3-Year-Old

    Kejriwal Reveals Alleged Swiss Bank Accounts Of Amarinder's Family

    Kejriwal Reveals Alleged Swiss Bank Accounts Of Amarinder's Family
    Kejriwal quoted two account numbers, alleging that these two were opened by Preneet Kaur and Raninder Singh in 2005.

    Kejriwal Reveals Alleged Swiss Bank Accounts Of Amarinder's Family

    AAP Pits Bhagwant Mann Against Sukhbir Badal In Jalalabad

    AAP Pits Bhagwant Mann Against Sukhbir Badal In Jalalabad
    AAP MP Bhagwant Mann will contest against Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in the Punjab assembly election, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday.

    AAP Pits Bhagwant Mann Against Sukhbir Badal In Jalalabad

    She Declared, 'Every Drop Of My Blood Will Invigorate The Nation'; And It Did: Sonia On Indira Gandh

    She Declared, 'Every Drop Of My Blood Will Invigorate The Nation'; And It Did: Sonia On Indira Gandh
    Speaking at the Indira Gandhi centenary celebrations at the Vigyan Bhavan here, she said the former Prime Minister was not only her mother-in-law but also a mother, mentor and a guide to her.

    She Declared, 'Every Drop Of My Blood Will Invigorate The Nation'; And It Did: Sonia On Indira Gandh