Soni, a 22-year-old computer professional, was hit on her eye by a stone hurled by unknown persons at the ladies compartment of a local between Mira Road and Dahisar. She was taken to hospital with a bleeding eye, damaged beyond repair.

The railway officials deemed it a minor injury, but Naik today claimed he took up the matter with them and pointed to them the rules under which Soni could be given higher compensation. Apart from the monetary compensation, the railways will also take care of the medical expenses she incurs, the minister said. ``Officials sometimes don't know all the provisions. And some rules too are ambiguous,'' Naiksaid. ``The railways administration gave her a paltry sum of Rs 500 in the name of ex-gratia, when it should have paid an ex-gratia of Rs 5000 and given compensation of Rs 1.60 lakh for permanent injury,'' the minister added.

Naik said as a special case, he would try and get her a suitable job in the railways. On hearing of the incident, the minister said, he had immediately sent his party activists to Joseph's residence, where she lived with her husband and seven-month-old child. They also visited the hospital where she was undergoing treatment and asked doctors to do their utmost to save her eye, irrespective of the cost involved.

On preventing such incidents in the future, Naik said, ``Some people are pervert,'' adding that ``the railway police have been asked to keep a watch along the tracks, but it's difficult, if not impossible, to ensure that such incidents do not take place again.''

Soni, in her statement, had said that just a couple of days before she was hit, another lady was hit by a stonepelted from the same area. ``Some people are always there to throw things at a running train. It could be their idea of fun, but it is dangerous for commuters,'' she had pointed out.