War Veteran Humiliated: Paraplegic Ex-Para Commando Allegedly Harassed at Karnataka Toll Plaza on Republic Day Eve
Udupi, 27th January 2026: In a distressing incident reported on the eve of India’s 77th Republic Day, a disabled Special Forces veteran was allegedly harassed and denied passage by staff at the Sastan Toll Booth near Udupi, Karnataka.
Ex-Para Commando Shyamraj EV, a veteran of the elite 21 Para (Special Forces), released a video statement from his wheelchair at the toll plaza, alleging that despite producing valid exemption documents, toll staff refused to let his vehicle pass without payment.
The Incident
According to the video statement, the incident occurred late at night on January 25. Shyamraj, a battle casualty survivor who was left paraplegic following injuries sustained during ‘Operation Parakram,’ was traveling with his family regarding his wife’s posting.
Visibly distressed, the veteran displayed several official documents to the camera, including his “Battle Casualty Certificate” and a specific letter from the Army Headquarters certifying his exemption from toll taxes and other levies under the Indian Tolls (Army and Air Force) Act, 1901.
“I have passed through every toll plaza without issue, but here at the Sastan toll booth, Mr. Suresh and Mr. Shivanath are telling me they will not let me go without paying,” Shyamraj stated in the video.
“Not Asking for Charity”
The situation escalated as the veteran engaged in a heated exchange with the toll staff in a mix of Hindi and Kannada. Shyamraj expressed deep anguish over the treatment meted out to a disabled soldier, specifically highlighting the irony of the incident occurring just hours before Republic Day.
“Why am I sitting in this wheelchair? You tell me,” he asked the staff, pointing to his condition. “I am carrying a certificate for exemption. I am not asking for bhiksha (charity); I am asking for my right under the Army Act.”
Appeal to Authorities
In his statement, Shyamraj appealed to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, to look into the harassment of defense personnel at toll plazas.
“Is there any meaning to me sitting in this wheelchair if a war casualty is treated this way?” he asked.
