Crackdown on protest: Injured woman still critical

On ventilator support in the ICU of a city hospital, 51-year-old Raj Bala, one of the 71 people injured in the pre-dawn police crackdown at Ramlila Maidan, continues to remain critical for the third day today.

Doctors attending on her said she is "conscious, quadriplegic and obeying to simple verbal commands."

However, they said her condition is still critical and she continues to be on ventilator support.

Admitted with spinal injuries to the G B Pant Hospital, this resident of Gurgaon is among the 71 people injured in the crackdown at Ramlila Maidan, where yoga guru Ramdev was holding his indefinite hunger strike.

"She is still critical. She underwent a surgery yesterday for the cervical spinal injuries involving C4 and C5. She is quadriplegic. We have done a decompression and fixation using plate, screw and cage," a doctor with the neurosurgery department said.

Raja Bala is one of the two victims of the Sunday episode at the Ramlila Maidan, who are still undergoing treatment.

Another victim admitted with head injuries is now undergoing treatment at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital.

"Only one patient is admitted with us and the rest have been discharged. He will be discharged as soon as he recovers," Dr Richa Diwan, medical superintendent, LNJP hospital, said.