Udupi, 27 Jan

A retired Army commando who lost both his legs during a military operation was allegedly humiliated by toll plaza staff in this district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at the Sasthana toll plaza near Kundapur on 26 January, they added.

A video recorded by the former soldier at the toll booth has gone viral, sparking widespread public outrage.

The soldier, Shyamaraj (42), a native of Edaneeru in Kerala’s Kasaragod district, served with the elite 21 Paramilitary unit. He sustained grievous injuries during Operation Parakram, leaving him permanently differently-abled and wheelchair-bound.

In the video, Shyamaraj is seen explaining in Hindi that he holds a toll exemption pass issued by the Centre. He said he has travelled across the country without paying tolls at other plazas, but was stopped at Sasthana and asked to pay.

"I am a victim of Operation Parakram. I have documents for the toll exemption. Everywhere else I was allowed to pass, but here they are stopping me," he said, naming two toll staffers.

Questioning the treatment meted out to him, he asked, “Is this how an injured soldier is treated?"

Operation Parakram was a large-scale mobilisation that lasted over 10 months (December 2001-October 2002) in response to the terrorist attack on Parliament in December 2001.

Shyamaraj appealed to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, noting that war-disabled soldiers are exempt from tolls.

The toll plaza staff said that they were acting as per orders from above and were unaware of the exemption.