Indore: 16-year-old Shivam Shukla, one of those hurt in the Khargone violence, under the treatment of neurosurgeon Dr Pranav Ghodgaonkar has regained his consciousness today. He was battling for his life at a hospital in Indore. Details have revealed that Shivam was a part of the Ram Navami procession and was badly hurt after stones were pelted and petrol bombs were hurled in a communal clash on April 10th.
Doctors say Shivam’s skull bones have broken and have punctured his brain. A clot is formed, the doctors have revealed. Though the surgery was performed to save Shivam’s life and fragments of stones have been pulled out from his head, he is still in the ICU, in critical condition. The situation remains tense but peaceful in Khargone, which is under a curfew since Sunday following incidents of arson and stone-pelting during Ram Navami celebrations, officials said.
Nearly 100 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence in Khargone and 89 of them have been sent to jail, Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Chourasia said. Eyewitnesses said Shivam was seen lying on the ground with serious head injuries. Doctors at the government hospital say they saw a hole in Shivam’s head, but he was alive. They immediately referred him to Indore for better treatment. Shivam felt unconscious by the time he reached the hospital in Indore.
Shivam’s father, Purshottam Shukla, is a farmer. Shivam was pursuing a diploma in Computer Sciences from ITI, for which he had shifted to Khargone to live with his uncle Surendra Joshi.