The Hindu : New Delhi News : Tragedy that left a trail of scars in her life

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 20, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Tragedy that left a trail of scars in her life

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 19. For the last four years, Poonam Singhal has not felt like looking herself up in the mirror. An acid attack had left her body and soul deeply scarred and forced the family to sell its silvers and ask for help from every possible quarter to get her treated. While the family has been forced to move out of Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district of Orissa due to constant threats from the accused, all the six accused continue to roam freely -- three of them having managed to secure a bail while the other three remain absconding.

Life for the Singhal family turned around for the worst in October 2000 when the prime accused, Satyasai Nayak, and his friends allegedly caught Poonam while she was on her way to Government Women's College in Bhawanipatna and poured acid on her only because the beautiful and then 16-year-old girl had spurned the proposal of the prime accused, who was married but had still developed a liking for her on his first visit to her house as an electrician.

Ever since, Poonam has remained confined to the interiors. Staying in Room No. 1102 of Orissa Niwas in Chanakyapuri here, she rarely steps out of the room as the defacement has left a deep impression on her mind as well.

Her astrologer father, Banshilal, does not know why the tragedy befell her. And along with son, Rajesh, he only shares the dream of getting the girl completely treated so that one day she can complete her studies and achieve her goal of opening a hospital for treatment of burn victims like her.

Having undergone treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Apollo Hospital and Batra Hospital, Poonam is still awaiting the day when she could once again step out boldly into the world without scaring anyone. The acid left her so grievously burnt that it almost wiped off her identity too.

Though Poonam still feels apprehensive about going out, her brother takes her out in a vehicle once in a while just to prevent that feeling of confinement from creeping in. She remained bed-ridden for a long time after the attack, but she is now able to move around a bit.

But she still requires occuplastic surgery for her eyelids, treatment for corneal opacity in her left eye -- which keeps watering -- reconstructive surgery for forehead, nose, left ear, release of neck contracture and scars on face, neck, chest and both upper limbs. While the family has spent close to Rs 20 lakhs on her treatment, it is now in desperate need for funds as the rest of the treatment is to take place at Leelawati Hospital in Mumbai and would cost around Rs. 10 lakhs. Since the treatment would take about two years, the family is hoping that someone would come forward to help it with the finances and accommodation in the city.

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