Delhi:
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, has had brain surgery today. Doctors say she is critically ill, there is the likelihood of post-operative complications and her chances of survival have worsened.
Neurosurgeon Dr Deepak Aggarwal performed what was described as a minor brain surgery - fluid that had collected in her brain and was causing pressure has been removed. Dr Aggarwal said the fluid had been sent for tests. Falak has already had a brain surgery before this one in the last fortnight.
The baby also has a chest infection, which forced doctors to put her back on ventilator support on Sunday night. She had been taken off the ventilator on Friday and had been breathing on her own, doctors said.
(Baby Falak case: Five developments today)
Baby Falak, named for the sky by hospital staff looking after her, was brought to AIIMS on January 18 by a 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.
Baby Falak has been in the intensive care unit of the hospital since, battling valiantly against all odds. Outside, Delhi Police has been trying to piece together the tale of horror that led to the infant being battered to an inch of her life.
The police's main suspect is Rajkumar, a man who the 15-year-old girl says was her boyfriend, who has since allegedly abandoned her. The police says it is close to identifying Falak's biological mother, with crucial leads being provided today by a woman identified so far only as Lakshmi.
Lakshmi has allegedly told the police that in September, a woman named Munni asked her for shelter for her baby and herself, saying they had been abandoned by her husband. After 20 days of staying with Lakshmi, Munni disappeared, the police say. Lakshmi then allegedly handed Falak to a man named Manjot, who in turn passed on the baby to Rajkumar, who then lived with the teen girl.
Rajkumar is allegedly married and left the teen to visit his family in Mumbai. The police says 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.
The teenager who brought Falak to hospital has been placed in a juvenile home and has been interviewed at length by members of the Child Welfare Committee. Medical tests to determine her condition will be reported tomorrow. Her father will also be questioned by the police today, as the girl has alleged that she left her home because he ill-treated her. She had been reported missing about a year ago, police said.
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.