Bangalore, Jan. 12: The northeastern community in Bangalore is planning to raise funds for the treatment of Khuadun Khangham, a waiter from Arunachal Pradesh, who was found bruised and semi-conscious minutes after he had left his workplace on Saturday.

Struggling with meagre resources, a volunteer from the same state is currently taking care of Khangham, 22, who is yet to regain consciousness.

A police beat vehicle found the youth lying on the road, a few metres away from the pub where he worked in Koramangala, an upscale south Bangalore neighbourhood, around 1.50am. Khangham was returning home to Ejipura, a lower middle class area, in the vicinity.

The police immediately rushed him to National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) for head injuries.

While the police are yet to pick any more leads into what might have happened to Khangham, who arrived in the city just four months ago, some activists from the Northeast are trying to raise funds for his treatment.

Apart from Rs 30,000 sent by Arunachal's Kanubari MLA Gabriel Dengwang Wangsuand Rs 10,000 by Khangham's employer, the volunteers are yet to find adequate resources to afford the treatment. "I have spent whatever I had with me," Abo Arangham, an activist, told The Telegraph today.

While the money from the MLA has come as a temporary relief, Arangham said more funds would be required since Khangham was still unconscious.

The only improvement is that he has started breathing without any aid and therefore was shifted to the head injury ward yesterday from the intensive care unit after five days.

A native of Ozakho Village in Longding, Arunachal Pradesh, Khangham belongs to a poor family. "His parents haven't been able to come to Bangalore yet. His uncle may arrive here in a day," said Arangham.

Rini Ralte, president of Northeast Solidarity, an NGO, and a professor at the United Theology College here, said, "I don't think they (his family) have the resources to come to Bangalore."

Having visited Khangham thrice, Ralte said he didn't respond to sound or touch. "We don't know how long will it take for him to regain consciousness and sufficient health to be transported back to Arunachal," said Ralte.

In a similar case, 25-year-old Shimreiso from Manipur was left seriously injured in an apparent incident of hit-and-run in Audugodi, just about 4km from the spot where Khangham was found. That incident on August 23 had led to fundraising by the community.

"We couldn't raise much funds. But it helped as everyone pitched in with Rs 100," said Ralte, who runs a 24/7 helpline (9901934371/ 9741285744) Four volunteers from the community took care of Shimreiso, who was shifted to Imphal in November, where he continues to be in coma.

In the process, two of the volunteers lost their jobs as their employers didn't approve of the long absence.

"Problem is most of the people from the Northeast here are in low-paid jobs. Funds would be a problem in such cases," said Ralte.