Srinagar, Dec 26: On February 02, this year, a 24-year-old girl was returning home from work in Srinagar when two motorcycle-borne men intercepted her in the Wantpora area and one of them threw acid at her and left her injured.
Soon after the incident, Seema (name changed) was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, and she suffered injuries to her eyes and hand.
After a few days of treatment at SMHS hospital, the doctors advised her parents to take her to a hospital in Chennai for eye surgery, and according to the family, the government then promised to bear all of her medical expenses.
Also, the district administration has provided Rs 1 lakh and facilitated the victim to Chennai with her family. Similarly, some political parties too announced to bear her medical expenses.
So far 21 surgeries have been done to get her treated. “She is yet to see anything, and we are now lacking money to treat her as all the well-wishers have stopped assisting us,”the victim’s father stated.
Now as she is yet to regain her eyesight,the government has turned their back on the promises it made earlier. The government said to Seemas’s father that they can’t help him more and that whatever was possible from their side, they did it. Also, some others who were providing a helping hand, have stopped assistance. “We have been left at the mercy of God now,” said her father with teary eyes.
He has pleaded with the general public to help him treat her daughter, as they have spent their life savings on their daughter’s treatment.
The family of the victim said since the unfortunate incident happened to her, they are unable to concentrate on anything, and unfortunately, there is no income for their family. As per the family statement, as of now, they have spent around 15 lakhs on her treatment.
Although police arrested three people, including the main accused, within record time and also filed a chargesheet in this case, the trio, including a minor, has been put behind bars.
The mother of the victim appealed to people to help in this difficult time to treat her beloved daughter; next month we have to go to Chennai, and “we have no money to reach there.”
The acid victim is survived by her mid-aged parents and two sisters.
The family requested the common masses to help them to bear her medical expenses so that she would be able to see the world again. “It has been eleven months, and she is yet to see anything,” said her middle-aged father.
However, a top official from the administration told Rising Kashmir that the victim has been provided sufficient funds to treat their daughter. However, the senior government official declined further comment.
