Journalist critical after assault in Delhi public park
45-year-old freelance journalist was battling for life on Thursday after an overnight attack by an unidentified person at a park in northwest Delhi left her with severe brain injuries.
Aparna Kalra, who has worked with several top media houses, was admitted to Fortis Hospital after local residents found her lying unconscious in a pool of blood at an Ashok Vihar park on Wednesday evening.
Her uncle, HC Bhatia, told HT that the attack left some parts of her skull missing. “She is critical as she has received multiple injuries to her brain nerves,” said Bhatia.
Kalra gained consciousness briefly on Wednesday night to tell police she was attacked but fell unconscious soon after.
Police said they registered a case of attempt to murder and that the attack was possibly carried out with iron rods but were clueless about possible suspects.
“We have no eyewitnesses. We were informed about a woman lying unconscious in the park by a visitor. But the caller had not witnessed the attack,” said Milind Dumbre, deputy commissioner of police (northwest). Kalra lives with her family in Delhi.
The park where she was attacked is a popular destination for morning and evening walkers. Kalra’s family said there were many people in the area at the time but that no one had come forward as eyewitness. Police said that at least four fatal attacks have been reported from public parks in north and northwest Delhi in the last two years.
Her family said like most evenings, she left for a walk in Picnic Hut — a park adjacent to her home — around 6.15pm on Wednesday.
“At 7.30pm, Kalra’s sister received a call from police that she was admitted to Deep Chand Hospital with brain injuries,” said Bhatia.
Kalra was taken to Fortis Shalimar Bagh late at night with frontal-lobe fractures in her skull. “She was brought in by her sister, who had earlier taken her to Deep Chand Hospital, which referred her to Fortis. She had a lot of fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) collection in her brain cavities, and underwent an emergency surgery to remove it at late night,” said a doctor treating her at Fortis.
The condition, called hydrocephalus, can kill if the fluid is not removed.
The family is unsure about the motive of the attack.