This story is from August 24, 2019

South Mumbai woman loses eye after ex repeatedly slashes her

Jabbed on the face repeatedly with a knife for rebuffing her former boyfriend, a 22-year-old woman from south Mumbai has lost sight in her right eye and suffered nearly 20 cuts on her face, hands and forearms. She was discharged from hospital on Friday,
South Mumbai woman loses eye after ex repeatedly slashes her
Representative image
MUMBAI: Jabbed on the face repeatedly with a knife for rebuffing her former boyfriend, a 22-year-old woman from south Mumbai has lost sight in her right eye and suffered nearly 20 cuts on her face, hands and forearms. She was discharged from hospital on Friday, a fortnight after the incident, but faces a long road to recovery, reports Sumitra Deb Roy.
Sneha Patankar lives in Saat Raasta and works as an accountant with a Jogeshwari firm.
The attack took place on August 9. Alerted by her screaming, the man’s neighbour called up police, who rescued Sneha from his house in Lower Parel. They took her to hospital, and arrested Akshay Kadam (26). “We have booked him for attempt to murder under section 307 of IPC,” a senior officer from N M Joshi Marg police station said.
“I am glad he has been arrested. I hope he doesn’t get bail and stays behind bars,” Sneha told TOI.
Sneha’s family, still reeling from shock, said she was their main bread-winner. They said her former boyfriend allegedly accosted her when she was walking towards Mahalaxmi station to go to work and forced her to ride on his bike. He took her to his Lower Parel house. A senior police officer said the accused had called Sneha to his house.
Around 1.15pm, Sneha’s mother received a call. She recalled Sneha crying in pain. “As I picked up the phone, I could hear her screaming and telling me to come and save her,” said the mother. “He (the attacker) had been trying to become friends with my daughter again, but she turned him down. She was no longer keen on staying in touch with him and wanted to make something of her life,” said the mother, who has singlehandedly raised Sneha and her brother. “Look what a big price she had to pay. We are praying she regains her vision. She has a long life to live.”

Doctors are not optimistic about saving her vision. “There were three injuries in the eyeball, which were critical. Besides her retina being detached, there was significant bleeding. She is completely blind in the right eye now. And the prognosis is not good,” said Dr Saroj Sahdev, head of ophthalmology at the B Y L Nair Hospital. A team of ophthalmologists, surgeons, plastic surgeons and ENT doctors have worked together in the case. Sneha, who has a degree in medical laboratory technology, had fought multidrug-resistant TB two years ago.
Plastic surgeon Dr Uday Bhat said such cases of assault are rarely seen. “Stab wounds are usually seen on the chest and abdomen but rarely on the face. The intention perhaps was not to kill but to maim,” said the doctor. He added that the woman had around 20 wounds, which were sutured and have started healing.
ENT specialist Dr Milind Navlakhe said she had a cut on an ear too but was lucky to escape without any hearing loss. “We are trying our best to restore her vision but it looks very difficult at this juncture,” said Sahdev.
(Inputs from Mateen Hafeez)
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