Soni Sori stable, say doctors; Chhattisgarh police deny role in attack

As the doctors at a Delhi hospital said the condition of tribal rights activist and AAP leader Soni Sori was stable and there was no threat to her life, Chhattisgarh police in Raipur denied that they had any role in the attack on her.

Sori was flown to Delhi after the attack in which some persons rubbed acid-like chemical on her face.

"This is not an acid attack. Someone threw black ink or grease on Soni Sori's face in Dantewada. She is suffering pain because the black material rubbed on her face made scratches," Special Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal operations) D M Awasthi said in Raipur.

"An FIR has been lodged and we trying to locate the mischief-mongers. Police are actively searching for them," he said.

Rejecting allegations of police's involvement in the incident, Awasthi said, "Police has no role in the incident which is a bodily offence. The incident is deplorable and we condemn such an incident taking place with any individual, whatever be their leanings or affiliations. (Ms) Sori is entitled to all rights and protection like any other citizen."

On February 20, three unidentified motorcycle-borne youths attacked the teacher-turned-politician with an acid-like black chemical near Jawanga village in Dantewada.

On Sunday, she was flown to Delhi by AAP and was admitted at Indraprashta Apollo Hospital as local doctors couldn't identify the substance smeared on her face.

"The patient came to the hospital last night with chemical burns on her face and was immediately admitted in the ICU...We are hopeful that she will recover within the next few weeks and are carefully monitoring the situation on an hourly basis. Her condition is stable at the moment with no threat to her life," the hospital said in a statement today.

Convener of AAP in Chhattisgarh, Sanket Thakur had alleged that Ms Sori was attacked because she raised the issues of human right violations, and the police didn't give her protection though she was receiving threats.In the past, Ms Sori had been accused of being a conduit for the Maoist and arrested.

The hospital statement today said that Ms Sori was evaluated by an ophthalmologist and her eyes, in bedside examination, appear to be normal, though she has orbital and conjunctival oedema (a condition when watery fluid collects in cavities or tissues).

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked the Raman Singh government to arrest the accused immediately.