New Delhi, Jun 6 (IANS): More than 40 hours after she was brutally assaulted by police at Ramdev's meeting here, a 54-year-old housemaker has become a paralytic and is struggling to survive.
A resident of Gurgaon, Raj Bala is one of the many who were attacked during the midnight police crackdown on thousands of Ramdev supporters at the Ramlila ground here before dawn Sunday.
Doctors at the G.B. Pant Hospital here said that Raj Bala was beaten up with police "lathis" -- as stated by those who witnessed the assault -- on her neck and back.
In the process, her spinal cord has been damaged.
On Monday evening, she remained warded in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital, kept alive by ventilator.
"Bala has suffered post-traumatic fracture dislocation with quadriplegia (paralysis)," said a report by the hospital's Medical Superintendent N. Shashi Gururaja.
"The patient does not have spontaneous respiration and is on ventilator support," it added.
Raj Bala was among the many who were initially rushed to the Lok Nayak Hospital, the nearest medical facility to the Ramlila ground, before being shifted to the neighbouring G.B. Pant Hospital.
"Balaji was among the first few to be admitted. Her spinal cord is broken," a senior doctor told IANS on condition of anonymity. "She is in critical condition."
One reason Raj Bala was moved out of the Lok Nayak Hospital was because it was flooded with injured Ramdev supporters in the wake of the widely condemned police crackdown.
According to doctors, quadriplegia or a state of paralysis occurs when the neck area of the spinal cord is injured. This affects the movement of the limbs.
"The patient is obeying simple verbal commands. A surgery has been done," said the hospital report.
Raj Bala has been heavily sedated and her condition is being monitored regularly.
The woman's family is distraught.
Daughter-in-law Rakesh quoted doctors as saying that she may not recover from the present state.
"The doctors say recovery from paralysis is rare," she said. "We never thought such brutality by police would land my mother-in-law in hospital."
Officials at the G.B. Pant Hospital are, however, reluctant to say how many more victims of the police action are still warded at the hospital.
"We can tell you this only tomorrow (Tuesday)," Gururaja said.
Her case was first highlighted by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj, who added that two other men had their skull bones cracked by police.
On his return to Hardwar, Ramdev also referred to Raj Bala while demanding action against Delhi Police for "brutalities".
Police said 39 Ramdev supporters, including four women, as well as 23 policemen were injured in the violence at Ramlila ground.
Ramdev supporters, however, say that more than 100 people were injured in varying degrees.