SRINAGAR: With his Knight Riders failing to deliver the goods, Shah Rukh Khan may think twice before pumping money into cricket again. But when it comes to giving money for a cause Khan may want to ben seen as the knight in shining armour. This time it was a distressed Kashmiri Pandit family which benefited from SRK’s largesse.
Deepak Raina and his family had migrated from Sogam, Anantnag, to Delhi in 1990. Their car met with an accident while returning from Jammu to Delhi last month.
Deepak’s mother Sheila died on the spot while Deepak, wife Neenu and two-year-old daughter Divya were admitted to Delhi’s Apollo Hospital.
“Neenu was in coma, Deepak’s was critical and the child was numb below the waist. The family could not afford the cost of treatment which was in lakhs,” said brother-in-law Ramesh Raina.
Khan came to know about the family’s plight through his friend and Bollywood film-maker Ashok Pandit, who is himself from Kashmir. Moved by Pandit’s distress call, the star sent him a cheque for Rs3 lakh for the family’s treatment a few days ago.
“To my utter surprise, Shah Rukh Khan called me up and offered to help in whatever way possible. Within two days I received a cheque from Gauri Khan,” Pandit told DNA.
“We are indebted to Shah Rukh Khan for helping us in time of need,” Ramesh said. Deepak and Divya have been discharged, but Neenu is still in coma.
Pandit added Khan had earlier responded to calls for help for a 10-year-old cancer patient. “But before we could do anything, the boy died. Shah Rukh was pained to learn of his death,” he added.
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