Patna, June 14: A life of compromise awaits the 20-year-old Sitamarhi youth who was brutalised by a group of anti-socials with lynch-mob mentality on Thursday night.

The horror of Vikas Kumar Yadav, presently admitted in the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) emergency, is far from over but doctors today said Vikas could need artificial palms once his wounds heal.

A group of seven had chopped off all 10 fingers on Vikas’s hands and poured acid into his eyes at Banbhora village of Samastipur, 110km northeast of Patna.

V.P. Choudhary, the head of the PMCH plastic surgery department, said Vikas’s fight had just begun.

“All of Vikas’s fingers and portions of his palms are missing. The wounds will heal but will take time. He will have to use artificial palms. Good news for his eyes. We checked them today and found that he could count our fingers. However, it is early to say whether or not his eyes would heal. There is always a chance of infection, which can blind him forever. We are trying our level best to save his vision,” said Choudhary.

Vikas, a resident of Sanichaara village under the jurisdiction of Bithan police station of Samastipur, used to assist his father Shiv Sagar, in his farm equipment business.

Samastipur superintendent of police (SP) Chandrika Prasad said an FIR had been lodged against six persons and one accused had been arrested.

“Investigations are on. While Banbhora village resident Bhushan Yadav has been made the prime accused, the other accused are Uma Yadav, Sanjeet Kumar, Mukund Yadav, Garbhu Yadav, Bambam Yadav and Vikas Yadav. Vikas Yadav has been nabbed. We are searching for the severed portions of the victim’s palms. Investigations indicate the incident was the fallout of a business rivalry,” said the SP.

The police said around eight days ago, Vikas and his friends, Pappu, Anil and Lalit, had a heated argument with Bhushan.

“The altercation took place at the Jhanjhar-Sahpur Chowk under the Kusheshwar Sthan police station area in neighbouring Darbhanga district. Vikas’s father and Bhushan used to rent out JCB machines. Preliminary investigations indicate that the victim and his friends had threatened Bhushan. However, there was no fight and the matter ended there. Late on Thursday evening, Vikas was forced to halt after his motorcycle developed a glitch in Banbhora village. Bhushan spotted Vikas and took advantage of the situation. Along with his associates, Bhushan caught Vikas and assaulted him,” said the SP.

Vikas’s father, Shiv Sagar, has demanded speedy police investigation and quick justice for his son.

“The local police don’t help at all. I appeal to the SP of Samastipur and other senior police officers to immediately arrest those involved in the brutality,” he said.