Bengaluru acid attack survivor shifted to ICU due to post-surgery complications

The victim has been recovering in the hospital for over a month, and doctors said she will have to remain admitted for at least a month more.

The 23-year-old acid attack victim from Bengaluru has been shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) again after she suffered from complications post-surgery. Sources in the police force told news agency IANS that the victim's condition worsened after she underwent surgery on Sunday.

The survivor has suffered about 35% burn injuries on her neck, face and one part of the temple. (Representative Image/HT File)

This was the victim's fifth surgery. Ever since the acid attack in April, she has been in a semiconscious state and was responding to the treatment, reports suggest. The woman, who worked at a private finance firm, was attacked by Nagesh Babu at her workplace, pouring an entire litre of acid on her, from which she suffered about 35 per cent burn injuries and is still recovering at a private hospital.

Nagesh worked at a garment factory and according to the victim's statement, had been stalking her for many years and wanted to marry her. The 23-year-old had repeatedly refused the attacker's marriage proposals.

He was reportedly waiting in an auto near the victim's office in Sunkadakatte area of Bengaluru, had chased her and then poured the acid on her.

She had suffered a sudden drop in her oxygen level and, therefore, had to be taken back into the ICU.

Doctors also told IANS that the woman's burn injuries were on her neck, face and one part of the temple. They have begun the process of skin transplantation, for which she will be required to stay in the hospital for at least one more month. Doctors added that the survivor has started food intake.

The police have uncovered another facet of information, which is that the victim and her attacker used to attend the same school in class 10.

The victim was visited at the hospital by Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar, who assured free treatment and a job after her recovery.

In a manhunt by seven police teams that went over two weeks, Nagesh was arrested from an ashram in Tamil Nadu's Thiruvannamalai where he was disguised as a seer attending a religious programme. Nagesh, however, tried to escape and had allegedly attacked a police constable near Kengeri as he was being brought back to Bengaluru. The police had to shoot him in the leg to prevent him from fleeing.