Baby Falak still critical; teenager, who got her to hospital, quizzed for a second time

New Delhi: The next 48 hours are critical for Baby Falak, the two-year-old who was brought to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) two weeks ago with head injuries, fractures and human bite marks all over. She had a second brain surgery yesterday and doctors say she is critically ill, as they struggle to stall the spread of infections.

In hospital, Dr Sumit Sinha, a neurosurgeon attending on the child, said, "Our biggest priority is to try and get her off the ventilator. The fluid in the brain is infectious, a condition called meningitis which in itself is extremely life-threatening. She is being given antibiotics. If she doesn't respond within 24 to 48 hours, we might have to consider another surgery."

Outside, the Delhi Police are trying to piece together the tale of horror that led to the infant being battered to an inch of her life. Today, the 15-year-old girl who brought Falak to hospital on January 18 was questioned by the Child Welfare Committee. 

She said that she had been exploited sexually by several people including Rajkumar alias Dilshad, the chief suspect in the case, who is at large. The girl had earlier told the police that Rajkumar was her boyfriend and had brought Falak to her. She told the committe that Rajkumar would force her to 'entertain customers'.

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The police have been hunting for Rajkumar and released his photograph last evening.

The teenager told the committee that her father would beat her and her mother with belt and sticks every day. She said she was sent to an orphanage for a while after her mother died.

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According to the police, she had been reported missing about a year ago.

The committee who also questioned the teen's father, asked for a case to be filed against him for abuse and against four others who sexually exploited the girl.

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The police says it is close to identifying Falak's biological mother, with crucial leads being provided yesterday by a woman identified so far only as Lakshmi, who is believed to have given the baby to Rajkumar. They say they have traced events back to about six months ago, when a woman had arrived at Lakshmi's home with the infant.

This is what the police say they know of Falak's story so far:

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Baby Falak, named for the sky by hospital staff looking after her, was brought to AIIMS on January 18 by the teenaged girl who had at the time reportedly claimed to be her mother. The child had multiple fractures in her arms and severe head injuries possibly caused by being thrown against a wall, doctors said. She also had human bite marks all over her body.

The 15-year-old girl who brought Baby Falak to the hospital had allegedly told the doctors the baby's injuries were the result of a fall from her bed. The doctors said they called the police then as the teen's story did not match with the injuries seen on the child's body. The baby has been in the intensive care unit of the hospital since, battling valiantly against all odds.

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The police say in September last, Falak was brought to Lakshmi's home by a woman named Munni, who asked her for shelter for the baby and herself, saying they had been abandoned by her husband.  After 20 days of staying with Lakshmi, Munni disappeared, the police say.  Lakshmi, who is not well off and has four children of her own to bring up, then allegedly handed Falak to Rajkumar, who allegedly offered to bring her up.

Police say Rajkumar is allegedly married and lived in Delhi's Dwarka in a rented apartment with his wife. He allegedly took the baby home, but after a couple of months his wife said she could not keep the child, the police says. It is then that Rajkumar took the baby to the minor girl, they say.

While the teen says Rajkumar abandoned her to go visit his family in Mumbai, the Delhi Police refuse to accept yet that he abandoned her, saying Rajkumar had reportedly left for Mumbai saying he would be back in some time. The police say the teen may have vented her anger about being deserted on the infant, though this has not been confirmed.  A police team sent to Mumbai is yet to locate Rajkumar. A police team is also in Bihar to check on Lakshmi's antecedents.

Baby Falak's story has struck at the very heart of the nation, with offers of help pouring in from across India and abroad. But the authorities at the AIIMS Trauma Centre insist that as long as the baby is in their care they will bear all the expenses.