Teen’s condition improves, family wants more arrests

The swelling has subsidised a bit. This will help doctors decide if she requires a cornea transplant.

SONIA SARDANA, Chetanya’s aunt

NEWDELHI: The family members of 13-year-old Chetanya, who sustained critical head injuries in a road accident on Friday night in west Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh, said that her condition improved on Sunday, and soon doctors would be able to check her vision to ascertain whether she’d require a cornea transplant.

The girl and seven of her family members had met with an accident on Friday night when a drunk woman rammed their Mahindra Quanto car with her Maruti S Cross on a flyover in Punjabi Bagh. The girl’s mother, Poonam Sardana, died in the accident, while Chetanya survived despite critical wounds in the face and head.

Sonia Sardana, Poonam’s sister-in-law, said that Chetanya’s condition had bettered since Friday. “Her eyes are swollen and she has multiple fractures on her face. But, the swelling has subsidised a bit. This will help doctors check her vision and decide if she requires a cornea transplant,” Sonia said.

She said that on Saturday, doctors had said there were air gaps and blood clots in Chetanya’s brain because of which they could not give her anaesthesia for surgery. The family had donated Poonam’s eyes on Friday as it was not possible to preserve them till Chetanya’s recovery.

The Sardana family has also appealed to the police to arrest the other three passengers in the S Cross the woman was driving.

Sonia complained that despite two days having passed since the accident, the police did not arrest the others who might also have had a role in the accident.

The police said there were two men and a woman with Shivani Malik, who was driving the errant car. Malik was found to be drunk by the police and was arrested.

Deputy commissioner of police (west) Monika Bhardwaj said they had arrested the accused the same day and she was booked under appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code. “We are looking into the allegations of the family regarding police negligence. No disciplinary action has been taken so far as we are yet to find out the sequence of events at different hospitals,” the DCP said.