Wednesday, June 24, 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

    Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi Says Not Upset Over Exclusion From CIC List

    Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi Says Not Upset Over Exclusion From CIC List
    Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi on Friday said that "it doesn't matter" to him if he was not considered for the post of information commissioner after his retirement at the end of this month.

    Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi Says Not Upset Over Exclusion From CIC List

    Continued Climb Of Fresh Fruit, Vegetable Prices Push Canadian Inflation To 2%

    Continued Climb Of Fresh Fruit, Vegetable Prices Push Canadian Inflation To 2%
    Statistics Canada's January year-over-year inflation number was up from 1.6 per cent in December.

    Continued Climb Of Fresh Fruit, Vegetable Prices Push Canadian Inflation To 2%

    The Curious Case Of 'Freedom 251': 5 Crore Registrations, 25 Lakh Sets Promised

    The Curious Case Of 'Freedom 251': 5 Crore Registrations, 25 Lakh Sets Promised
    While the world kept asking questions and Indians remained puzzled, the Noida-based startup, promising a Rs.251 (less than $4) "Make in India" smartphone, on Friday claimed to have received nearly five crore registrations in just two days of opening up for online pre-orders.

    The Curious Case Of 'Freedom 251': 5 Crore Registrations, 25 Lakh Sets Promised

    Army Deployed In Haryana Areas; Violence Leaves Three Dead

    Army Deployed In Haryana Areas; Violence Leaves Three Dead
    The army was deployed in agitation-hit districts of Haryana on Friday evening as large-scale violence by Jat community protestors left three people dead in firing by security forces.

    Army Deployed In Haryana Areas; Violence Leaves Three Dead

    Why Apple's Tim Cook Would Have Been Booked As Anti-National In India

    Why Apple's Tim Cook Would Have Been Booked As Anti-National In India
    Just consider the facts. On December 9, two radicalised Americans massacred 14 people at the Inland Center in San Bernadino, California. The shooters, a married couple, were subsequently shot down by the police.

    Why Apple's Tim Cook Would Have Been Booked As Anti-National In India

    Shikhar Dhawan On JNU Row: Can't Speak Ill Of Country You Live In; Flag Should Be Unfurled At Univer

    Shikhar Dhawan On JNU Row: Can't Speak Ill Of Country You Live In; Flag Should Be Unfurled At Univer
    Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan on Friday batted for the union government's decision that the tricolour should be hoisted in all central university campuses.

    Shikhar Dhawan On JNU Row: Can't Speak Ill Of Country You Live In; Flag Should Be Unfurled At Univer