MUMBAI: Acid attack victim Aarti Thakur may have to wait a little longer for her next round of surgery. Aarti’s advocate Gayatri Singh on Wednesday told the high court that she has learnt that the plastic surgeon, who was supposed to operate on Aarti, will not be available in the city for over a month.
“Aarti has an infection. A surgery has to be done urgently,” Singh told a bench of Justice V M Kanade and Justice A R Joshi. Singh told the court that she would enquire if any other plastic surgeon can look at Aarti’s case. Singh has sought time till Friday to suggest the name of another surgeon to the court.
Aarti, a marketing executive, was attacked with acid at Goregaon railway station on January 31, 2012, allegedly by her former landlady’s son. She sustained deep burns on her face, neck, chest and hands. Aarti (now 25) challenged the state government’s cap of Rs 3 lakh compensation and the cut-off date of October 2, 2013, set under the Manodhairya Yojana meant to help survivors of acid attacks and sexual assaults. Aarti had contended that even though the attack happened in 2012, her treatment is going on till date.
She is seeking Rs 30 lakh compensation as she has to undergo further surgeries. On March 19, the Bombay HC had directed the state government to pay Aarti’s medical bills and reimburse the hospital. The surgery, involving scar revision and laser treatment on her face, is estimated to be approximately Rs 4 lakh.
Plastic surgeon Dr Debraj Shome, who has seen Aarti twice in between December and January, said that she had got in touch with him on Friday after the HC order directing the state to pay for her surgery. “I am going out of the country for six weeks and it will not be appropriate to operate on her and not be present for post-operative care,” he told TOI.
Aarti has now begun a fresh search for a plastic surgeon as she fears her wounds would lead to complications. “The last surgery I had undergone was in September 2014. The wound suddenly started oozing pus. I am worried that it may lead to an infection if it is not attended to immediately,” she said.
Aarti has already undergone six surgeries, both major and minor, and spent over Rs 6-7 lakh.
TOI | Mar 26, 2015
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