Mumbai's railway 'Good Samaritan'

By Monica Chadha
BBC News, Mumbai

Mr Julka says that he is "doing his bit for society".

No relative or friend of Mumbai resident Somnath Julka had been affected by the train blasts on Tuesday.

Yet he spent the whole night and the following day at the city's Sion hospital where, according to the hospital authorities, 60 wounded people and 41 bodies were admitted immediately after the incident.

The 51-year old businessman was doing what a large number of the city's residents did that evening - helping fellow human beings.

Mr Julka told the BBC website he heard about the blasts from a cousin when he was sitting in his neighbourhood club with friends.

Expensive injection

"Since the past few years, I always go to the club to play cards and Tuesday evening was no different. As soon as I received the phone call from a cousin who actually stays in New Zealand, I ran to Sion hospital because I knew that's where they would get a large number of wounded people."

But when Mr Julka reached the hospital, other Good Samaritans as well as local politicians were also there to help in whatever way they could.

I'd rather use my money to help those in need and give back a little to society that has given me so much Somnath Julka

"We bought ample food, water and fruit for the people coming there, because we knew it would be a long night and they would need something to eat in order to keep going."

Mr Julka said that while he was at the hospital, he heard about a certain expensive injection that needed to be administered to the people injured in the blasts to prevent them from going deaf.

Financial help

"Each injection cost 400 rupees [$9] and I told the doctors, don't worry about the costs, do what needs to be done and whatever the expense, I'll take care of it.

"I immediately arranged for 160,000 rupees that was required to buy them as well as some other medicines they needed to treat the wounded."

He said that soon afterwards relatives began pouring in, trying to trace their missing family members. Some of them identified the bodies but were not carrying enough money to pay for an ambulance to take the body home.

"It was a sad time. I told them: 'Don't worry, it has been taken care of.' I paid for the ambulance services as well. I just wanted to help in whatever way I could."

Mr Julka has already spent 260,000 rupees assisting various people and continues to open his heart and wallet to anyone who needs it.

"Even now I don't think our duty or work is over. I just heard a patient lost his spectacles in the blast and can't see without them so I have asked someone to get them fixed.

"Another person lost both his legs in the blast, so I plan to give him a job in my cargo company once he has been released from the hospital."

Mr Julka said he was only doing his bit for society.

"What will I do with all the money I have earned? I have just one daughter who got married last year. I run a profitable business and have earned enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life.

"Now I'd rather use my money to help those in need and give back a little to society that has given me so much."