A handshake and a message of hope: Chief of Naval Staff visits amputee patients in Pune

3 min readPuneJul 25, 2026 09:21 AM IST Akkina Rajeev with Chief of Naval staff Indian Navy Admiral Krishna Swaminathan at ALC in Pune. (Express) Akkina has a below the knee amputationAkkina Rajeev, 35, a Leading Seaman Gunnery Sensor (LSGS) of the Navy, underwent a below-the-knee amputation earlier this year at Pune’s Artificial Limb Centre (ALC). “I was on my way back to duty after a short vacation. I was trying to board a slow-moving train at Erode railway station when I lost my balance,” Rajeev recalled. He fell into the gap between the platform and the train, and his leg had to be amputated below the knee.Rajeev said the incident has been particularly difficult because he is the sole breadwinner of his family. On Thursday, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan met Rajeev an