Cracked skulls, broken bones

Hospitals in the city had difficulty in dealing with the several dozen people who showed up within a few minutes of each other with minor and major injuries

Cracked skulls, broken bones

Hospitals in the city had difficulty in dealing with the several dozen people who showed up within a few minutes of each other with minor and major injuries

Rajbala (54), a resident of Haryana, an avid follower of Baba Ramdev for the past 3-4 years was there to support Baba's hunger strike. Now she is lying in hospital, probably paralysed for life courtesy the thrashing by Delhi police. The pre-dawn police crackdown to end yoga guru Baba Ramdev's anti-corruption protest left at least 100 people injured, a hospital official said on Sunday.

Sunil Kumar

Gautam Kumar. Pics/Mid Day

Anil Kumar (35), son of Rajbala is anguished because of the critical condition of his mother. "How can the police act like this? How can they tear apart a woman's clothes as well as beat her with lathis?" he said, tears rolling down his eyes.

"Around 100 people are injured, out of which 71 are critically injured. Many have suffered wounds on their limbs," a medical official at the LNJP Hospital's disaster ward said. "As many thronged the hospital after midnight, it was difficult to manage them," he added. Among the followers, Gautam Kumar (27) had come all the way from Bihar to support Baba's campaign, covering around 1000 km, astonishingly, on a bicycle. He maintains a diary that has an account of all the places he came across during his journey which began on may 23 and reached the capital on June 1. He has sustained some minor injuries, but said, "Till the time Baba continues his protest, I will support him."

Hit and run
"At around 4 am, I heard about the violence by the police officials in the Ramlila Maidan, I immediately rushed to the spot and three bike borne police officials hit me and did not even bother to take me to hospital." said Jainendra Pathak (25) who is bed-ridden because of injuries.

Sunil Kumar (24), a resident of Jharkhand has sustained blows to his head and has got several fractures to show for it. "He got these injuries after being smacked on the back of the head gun by a policeman with his gun," said an attendant. 29-year-old Ravindra Singh was hit by a tear gas shell on the head. His clothes were soaked in blood. But he was waiting to be discharged so he could return to Shimla. According to the people who witnessed the drama, the scene resembled the Jalliawala Bagh incident.

Police force
LNJP is the hospital closest to the Ramlila Grounds, from where police forcibly removed Ramdev after midnight and dispersed his supporters using batons and tear gas. According to a Delhi police official, some of the injured were also admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital.

Invoking the law
An advocate on Sunday approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the government to issue a white paper on the entire episode leading to the eviction of yoga guru Ramdev and the alleged barbaric police action on Sunday against his followers at the Ramlila Grounds.The petition filed by Ajay Agarwal said in the white paper the government should explain the entire sequence of events, details of negotiations and the so-called deal between the government and Ramdev. The petition, moved before Additional Registrar Vinod Kumar who is the vacation officer, sought a direction to the ministry of home affairs, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Delhi Police to produce the entire records leading to the action. The advocate has sought the production of these records within 24 hours.