Mumbai, June 1 (IANS) A nurse from Delhi who was attacked with acid here May 2 died Saturday, her family said.
Preeti Rathi died in a private hospital.
“Doctors removed the ventilator and other medical aids, which kept her alive, around 4 p.m.,” Amar Singh Rathi, the victim’s father, told IANS.
Acid was flung on Preeti, 25, by some unknown people as she got off the New Delhi-Mumbai Garib Rath Express at Bandra Terminus May 2 morning to begin work as a nurse at the army hospital here.
She was on a ventilator for the past two weeks as her right lung had collapsed and the left one was only partly functional.
According to doctors attending to Rathi, her survival chances were as slim as five percent, given the extent of internal injuries, damage to vital organs and bleeding following the attack.
Acid had entered her oesophagus, windpipe and trachea.
She was initially treated for burns and other complications at the Masina Hospital in Byculla and then shifted to Bombay Hospital, New Marine Lines, May 18 for advanced medicare.
Doctors prioritised efforts to keep her alive and attempted corrective surgery on her, but abandoned the operation at the last minute due to internal bleeding.
Amar Singh had petitioned Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil and state Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal last fortnight, asking that the probe into the attack be taken away from the Government Railway Police (GRP).
“We want it to be handed over to either the state Crime Investigation Department of Central Bureau of Investigation as the GRP are not investigating it properly,” Amar Singh claimed in his petition.
He alleged that the GRP had wrongfully arrested a youth and was yet to track down the real culprit.
Saddened by the family’s plight, the Shiv Sena dropped its anti-north Indian stance and arranged accommodation for it near the hospital. The railways had agreed to foot all of the victim’s medical expenses.
For the last three weeks, Amar Singh, his wife, their son and two nephews maintained a constant vigil by Rathi’s bedside as she battled for life.
