Delhi journalist attacked while out on evening walk, motive unknown

Aparna Kalra was allegedly attacked by an unidentified assailant after she went out for an evening walk in Ashok Vihar, where she lives. Kalra was hospitalised with head injuries.

A 45-year-old freelance journalist suffered severe brain injuries after an overnight attack by an unidentified person at a public park in northwest Delhi on Wednesday.

Aparna Kalra is admitted to Fortis Hospital with multiple injuries to her brain.

Aparna Kalra – who has worked with several top media houses – was admitted to Fortis Hospital after local residents found her lying unconscious in a pool of blood at an Ashok Vihar park on Wednesday evening.

Doctors treating her at a private hospital said on Thursday evening that she was stable and managed to speak though a blood clot was detected in her brain.

Her uncle, HC Bhatia, told HT that she had received multiple injuries to her brain nerves.

Kalra gained consciousness briefly on Wednesday night to tell police she was attacked, but fell unconscious soon after.

Police said they registered a case of attempt to murder and that the attack was possibly carried out with iron rods but were clueless about possible suspects.

“We have no eyewitnesses of this attack. We were informed about a woman lying unconscious in the park by a visitor. But the caller had not witnessed the attack,” said Milind Dumbre, deputy commissioner of police (north-west). Kalra lives with her family in Delhi.

The park where she was attacked is a popular destination for morning and evening walkers. Kalra’s family said there were many people in the area at the time, but that no one had come forward as eyewitness.

According to the police, at least four fatal attacks have been reported from public parks in north and northwest Delhi in the last two years.

Her family said like most evenings, she left for a walk in Picnic Hut --a park adjacent to her home -- around 6.15pm on Wednesday. “At 7.30pm, Kalra’s sister received a call from police that she was admitted to Deep Chand Hospital with brain injuries,” said Bhatia.

Kalra was taken to Fortis Shalimar Bagh late at night with frontal-lobe fractures in her skull.

“She was brought in by her sister, who had earlier taken her to Deep Chand Hospital, which referred her to Fortis. She had a lot of fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) collection in her brain cavities, and underwent an emergency surgery to remove it at late night,” said a doctor treating her at Fortis.

The condition, called hydrocephalus, can kill if the fluid is not removed. On Thursday, she had to undergo a repeat CT (computed tomography) scan to check if fluid collection had stopped in her brain.

The family is unsure about the motive of the attack. “She is a brave woman, but we are not aware of her enmity with anyone,” said Bhatia.

The family initially suspected Kalra was attacked by people who may have tried to snatch her mobile phone. “But later we checked to find that she had left her phone at home while leaving. She was not carrying any valuables either,” he added.