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

    'The Rebel' Ban Sparks Debate Over What Constitutes Journalism In The Digital Era

    'The Rebel' Ban Sparks Debate Over What Constitutes Journalism In The Digital Era
    Neither governments nor industry professionals can seem to agree on exactly what constitutes journalism in the digital era — all they know is that the issue needs to be discussed.

    'The Rebel' Ban Sparks Debate Over What Constitutes Journalism In The Digital Era

    Bad Start For Freedom 251: Website Crashes, People Mob Its Office

    A visit to the company's head office by in Noida to get a first-hand experience of the situation was not very encouraging either

    Bad Start For Freedom 251: Website Crashes, People Mob Its Office

    'Make In India Week' Gets Rs.15 Lakh Crore Investment Commitment

    'Make In India Week' Gets Rs.15 Lakh Crore Investment Commitment
    India's biggest manufacturing promotional till date at home - the Make in India Week - concluded here on Thursday with investment commitments of over Rs.15 lakh crore ($220 billion), the government said.

    'Make In India Week' Gets Rs.15 Lakh Crore Investment Commitment

    Kanhaiya Kumar Moves Supreme Court For Bail, Opposition Petitions President

    Kanhaiya Kumar Moves Supreme Court For Bail, Opposition Petitions President
    His lawyer Vrinda Grover told the judges that the atmosphere in the Patiala House Courts, where the accused was allegedly assaulted by a group of lawyers, was not conducive for moving the bail application. 

    Kanhaiya Kumar Moves Supreme Court For Bail, Opposition Petitions President

    Watch: JNU Student Kanhaiya 'Beaten Up' In Patiala House Court Complex; Sent To Judicial Custody

    Watch: JNU Student Kanhaiya 'Beaten Up' In Patiala House Court Complex; Sent To Judicial Custody
    Several journalists were again beaten up by a section of lawyers at the Patiala House Court - much like what happened on Monday - before Kanhaiya Kumar was brought there

    Watch: JNU Student Kanhaiya 'Beaten Up' In Patiala House Court Complex; Sent To Judicial Custody

    Meeting Between Khattar, Jats Inconclusive; Haryana Doubles Job Quota

    Meeting Between Khattar, Jats Inconclusive; Haryana Doubles Job Quota
    Even as a meeting between Jat leaders and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar failed to break the deadlock on the reservation issue on Wednesday, the state announced doubling of the quota for the EBC category.

    Meeting Between Khattar, Jats Inconclusive; Haryana Doubles Job Quota