Fear factor: Victim boy refuses to visit hospital in Shiv Vihar

NEW DELHI: 16-year-old Rahul Giri is sitting in his home at North-east Delhi's Shiv Vihar area. His whole face, hands, and legs are burnt. Rahul has been the victim of the brutal Delhi riot. Rahul's family said that he had gone to a nearby shop to buy something. “I was at the shop when there was a blast near me. I had a blackout after which I somehow managed to start running,” said Rahul.

His mother said that as soon as Rahul reached his home he sat under the cold water. “At night as well, we had no idea what happened because he refused to tell us. We kept the fan on for the whole night,” she said. Rahul said that when he woke up in the morning and saw his face is when he saw that it was totally burnt. “We thought it was an acid attack, but then Rahul told us what happened,” his father Vindo Giri said.

Despite this, Rahul and his family have refused to step out of the house. “We are too scared to take him to the hospital,” his father said. The family who lives in a rented house said that the mob can come any time and they don't want to risk the life of their child. Meanwhile, no ambulance or any other kind of help is reaching the area. “We called the police so many times, but they did not come here. And now the situation is so tense we don't want to go out,” said Rahul's father.

An activist tried to persuade the family to visit the hospital, but they are hell-bent. Meanwhile, an organization was contacted to escort the family to the hospital, but they are still waiting for them to come.