Patna, Sept. 28: The woman who staved off a rape attempt but suffered burns in an acid attack yesterday is in danger of losing her eyesight.

Doctors treating her at the Samastipur Sadar Hospital said the 30-year-old woman’s eyes have been damaged in the acid attack. She could lose her vision unless immediate steps are taken.

An autorickshaw driver, identified as Ganesh Solanki, poured acid on the victim, a beggar, in the early hours of Friday at the Samastipur railway station after she resisted a rape attempt.

She was admitted to the sadar hospital with 40 per cent burn injuries.

Ganesh fled the scene after pouring acid on the woman. Police have not been able to find him yet.

Pawan Verma, an eye specialist at the Sadar hospital, today said: “The woman is suffering from corneal ulcer and her eyes are fully swelled up. Her cornea has turned white. Yesterday, she had minimal vision in her left eye. Today, the condition of her right eye has also turned bad — there has been ample vision loss. The vision in the left eye is damaged and chances of her having normal vision in future are bleak. I will say she can still recover, but only with immediate and proper medication.”

He further said the medication prescribed to the woman has to be administered on time. But it is hampered because she does not have attendants.

“The medicines have to be taken on time. There are eye drops that need to be administered every hour. More importantly, she needs to be treated by a cornea specialist. We have pointed out that she has to be referred to a big hospital, maybe the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital or Patna Medical College and Hospital. We have also completed the process, but she is yet to be shifted,” Verma said.

Sources said the administration has not been able to shift her because the victim does not have any attendants.

An official at the Samastipur Sadar Hospital said: “The administration has assigned a female constable to stay with the victim. None of her family members has turned up yet. The timing of the intake of the eye drops and medicines is getting hampered. It seems that the administration is not serious at all.”

There has been no headway towards finding Ganesh, the absconding attacker, but three police officers on duty at the railway station have been suspended for negligence.

“Three cops, including an assistant sub-inspector, a constable and a havildar, at the Government Railway Police (GRP) station of Samastipur railway station have been suspended. They were on duty at the time of the attack, and action has been taken against them for negligence. The police also contacted the victim’s husband, identified as Ram Prit Giri. He is at present being questioned at the GRP station,” Muzaffarpur superintendent of police (rail) Vinod Kumar told The Telegraph.

Vinod said Giri told the police that he got married to the victim around 18 years ago, but she left him after a fight and went away to Darbhanga. Giri has remarried and has four children.

The SP said: “The woman, in her statement, had said that Ganesh, an autorickshaw driver, was harassing her for a long time. She said he was from Aliha village in Darbhanga but the police did not find him there. The woman’s father also used to live in Darbhanga, but now stays in Deoghar district of Jharkhand.”

from bad to worse

Victim had minimal vision in left eye on Friday
The condition of her right eye too has worsened.
There has been ample vision loss
Eye specialist says she is suffering from corneal ulcer.
Her cornea has turned white and her eyes have swelled up
Chances of her having normal vision are bleak, but she can recover with 'immediate and proper medication'
Medicines have to be taken on time and she needs to be treated by a cornea specialist
The doctor said she has to be referred to a big hospital, maybe Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital or Patna Medical College and Hospital.
Doctors have also completed the process, but she is yet to be shifted