A 25-year-old gang rape survivor from a village in Latehar district is battling for life at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). Reduced to mere 18 kgs due to severe loss of body fat from brain injuries she sustained when the accused tried to crush her, the survivor’s family, comprising her husband and two children, sought help from the state government.
The survivor’s husband on Saturday said that he was working as a JCB driver with a construction company in Gujarat. On January 24, 2019, he was informed by his brother that his wife was gang-raped.
After he reached his village, his 12-year-old son said that the survivor had gone to the weekly market at nearby Kundri village on January 23. When she failed to return, her son searched the entire village but to no avail. The next day, villagers found her with grievous injuries in the agricultural fields of one Jawahar Oraon. The survivor was admitted to Latehar sadar hospital.
The survivor was then referred to RIMS. After receiving treatment in the neurology ward for two months, she was sent back to Latehar sadar hospital. Last week she was brought back to RIMS as she developed medical complications.
Admitted in the intensive care unit of the medicine ward, the survivor opened her eyes for the first time on Saturday since the incident. “The patient is critical because of extensive brain damage. She has lost all body fat. She was in coma since the incident,” said Dr Vidyapati, head of the medicine unit.
{{/usCountry}}Admitted in the intensive care unit of the medicine ward, the survivor opened her eyes for the first time on Saturday since the incident. “The patient is critical because of extensive brain damage. She has lost all body fat. She was in coma since the incident,” said Dr Vidyapati, head of the medicine unit.
{{/usCountry}}It has been an uphill battle for the survivor’s family ever since the incident. Her husband said that he has borrowed Rs 4 lakh till now from friends and relatives because of the cost of medical treatment. He mortgaged his house and agricultural field, and sold off most of his belongings. The children were forced to drop out from school to tend to their ailing mother, he said.
The survivor’s husband said that the family did not receive any help from government agencies or any social organisation. “No one has ever provided us with words of consolation, much less any financial help. We are reduced to penury,” he said.
Meanwhile, the police said all three accused in the case were arrested on Saturday. Birendra Kumar Ram, sub-divisional police officer, Latehar, said that accused Mukesh Thakur, along with RC Oraon and Sunil Oraon were arrested in the case. The accused were known to the survivor, and had abducted her while she was going to the village market, the SDPO said.