Falak continues to battle for life

Falak continues the battle for life. The battered two-year-old is stable after being taken off the ventilator, but her condition continues to be critical.

Falak was brought to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences’ Trauma Centre last month with severe injuries.  "Though in coma, Falak is responding to the antibiotics given to her. Her organs are also stable without the ventilator. However, her condition continues to be critical and we are constantly monitoring it," said Dr Deepak Agrawal, the neurosurgeon, who is treating the child.

He said it would be early to say if the two-year-old is out of danger as she had suffered serious brain damage. The doctors had taken Falak off the ventilator at around 6 am on Friday.

Admitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital since January 18, Falak has already undergone three life saving surgeries till now. She was brought with a severe head injury, both arms broken, bite marks all over her body and her cheeks branded with hot iron.

A report filed with the Child Welfare Committee had earlier said the 14-year-old girl, who brought Falak to hospital and claimed to be her mother, had beaten up the baby on January 17.

She had slapped the baby three or four times and bit her when she kept on crying. The report also said the baby received the head injury when she slipped off the girl's hands in the bathroom. “The baby fell on her face, hit her head and bled profusely,” the report said.

The Delhi Police is yet to trace the key suspect in the case, Raj Kumar alias Dilshad (28), who had left Falak with the girl before heading to Mumbai for the treatment of his physically-challenged son. Police are also looking for Munni, who is believed to be Falak’s mother.