The condition of the 25-year-old woman lecturer who was set on fire in Wardha district was “critical but stable”, hospital authorities said on Wednesday.
Navi Mumbai-based National Burns Centre director Sunil Keswani, who was flown to Nagpur to supervise the treatment on Tuesday, examined the woman and had detailed discussions with the team of doctors taking care of her, they said.
The victim Ankita Pisudde (25), a resident of Hinganghat town in Wardha, is undergoing treatment at the Orange City Hospital in Nagpur.
A medical bulletin issued by the hospital on Wednesday said she “remains critical but her vitals are stable”.
She also underwent “second debridement and dressing” on Wednesday, it said. Debridement is a medical procedure to remove dead, damaged or infected tissue.
Dr. Keswani told reporters here that the initial seven days are very critical for the victim, and appreciated the timely care provided by hospital.
“The woman was fully conscious and responding, but not in a position to talk now. The condition of her lungs will be known after three or four days...All efforts are being made to save her,” he said.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had earlier asked the police to ensure that the accused was convicted.
Meanwhile, Wardha Police on Wednesday transferred probe in the case to a special team led by Pulgaon town’s deputy superintendent of police.
“Considering the seriousness of the crime and since it is related to atrocity against a woman, the investigation in the case has been handed over to DySP Trupti Jadhav,” Wardha Superintendent of Police Basavraj Teli said.
A special team led by Ms. Jadhav will probe the case and collect all related evidence to file a charge sheet, he said.
“As per state government’s orders, we are moving an application seeking trial in a fast track court. We are also forwarding a proposal to get a special public prosecutor to represent the victim,” he said.
After the incident on Monday morning, the accused Vikesh Nagrale (27), tried to escape but he was nabbed at Butibori industrial suburb in Nagpur within four hours, he said.
Vikesh Nagrale (27), an acquaintance who was harassing the victim for quite some time, has been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326-A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc) and sent in police custody till Friday, he added.
Police were now recording statements of various people, including eye-witnesses, and parents of the victim and the accused, another official said.
According to the police, Mr. Nagrale and the woman were friends till two years ago when she severed ties with him due to his “irrational behaviour”.
“Nagrale is a married man and has a seven-month-old son. He works in a firm in Balharshah. He used to stalk the woman. He had even tried to commit suicide last year,” a police official said.
The victim’s cousin Shubham Pisudde told PTI that Mr. Nagrale was harassing her for the last many years despite repeated warnings. “Her marriage (engagement) was broken last year due to Nagrale,” he said.
