VISAKHAPATNAM: Two unidentified bikers threw acid on a city-based paediatrician late Tuesday night when he was going home in his car from Seven Hills Hospital. Balaji Dushan Patnail, the 35-year-old doctor from Cuttack, has been admitted to the same hospital and is undergoing treatment in the ICU.
The doctor’s elder brother Mihir Patnaik who flew in from Mumbai on Wednesday evening after hearing the news said his brother was driving home in his personal car when two persons blocked his way, forcing him to slow down and stop.
“They came up to his door and knocked on the window. When my brother rolled down the window, one of them threw acid on his face and fled the spot. As he screamed, local people rushed him to L.V. Prasad Eye Hospital and later brought him to intensive care unit of Seven Hills Hospital”, said Mihir. Asked whether his brother had enemies who could have carried out the attack, Mihir said his brother was soft-spoken and never had any fights with anyone.
“He is presently doing well but cannot say to what extent his eyes are damaged,” said a source from the hospital.
Meanwhile, the police have launched a manhunt to nab the attackers. Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) K. Fakirappa said the reason behind the acid attack could be ascertained after Dr Patnaik is in a position to record a statement. “I had spoken to him in the morning but he did not reveal anything. Even his wife and father-in-law are clueless,'” the DCP said. Meanwhile, the DCP-rank officers are going through the CCTV footage for clues.
