CRPF BRAVEHEART CHEETAH COMES BACK TO LIFE AFTER TWO MONTHS
NEW DELHI: After languishing in coma for over two weeks and spending a month in ICU, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandant was discharged from AIIMS on Wednesday.
While serving in Kashmir, commandant Cheetah was shot in the head and arms in February and sustained fractures in both arms, in addition to multiple facial wounds. He was in a critical state and in coma when flown to Delhi and taken to the Trauma Centre of AIIMS on February 14.
Expressing her elation, Cheetah's wife Uma Singh said, “I am proud of what Chetan has done. His condition is progressively improving and he is felling better now.” Doctors at AIIMS added that his vital organs are stable now.
Cheetah, a Commanding Officer of the 45th battalion, was severely injured while fighting terrorists in Kashmir's Bandipora district on February 14 and was shot at least nine times. Even after he collapsed, Cheetah kept firing at the terrorists.
After the brutal attack, Cheetah was initially taken to the military hospital in Srinagar where he was given medications to prevent bleeding. How- ever, due to the extent of the injuries and his comatose state, it was decided to airlift him to the Trauma Centre.
Three soldiers were martyred, a terrorist died and 15 security personnel were injured in the fierce gun battle between security personnel and terrorists in Hajin area of Bandipora.
The police and Army had launched a joint search operation following a tip-off about the presence of terrorists in a residential house. The injured soldiers were airlifted to a military hospital in Srinagar.
"His blood pressure was low and we had to give him drugs to stabilise it. He was then shifted to the ICU. The first surgery in Srinagar saved his life. Ini- tially, we had apprehensions if we would be able to save his eyesight. But we did our best. His right eye is still not good," said Professor Anurag Srivastava of the department of surgery at AIIMS.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, said, “His survival is a miracle and a victory of willpower. I just saw Cheetah's condition and was ensured that he was treated by the best doctors at the Trauma Centre. He is doing fine. I must thank the doctors. It was difficult imagining him back to life. He is a brave officer. I told Cheetah, I want to see him back in uniform. His willpower brought him back to life."