Jharkhand tribal youth brought back, tossing continues

A tribal youth from Jharkhand, who has a bullet embedded in his brain, continued to be tossed from one place to another, with state police on Friday bringing him back here for treatment, a day after taking him away from AIIMS in mysterious circumstances.

23-year-old Shivlal Soren was taken away from AIIMS on Thursday by a team of Jharkhand police and while they were en route to Ranchi, directions came from higher authorities that he be rushed back to Delhi for treatment.
    
Accordingly, the train journey was cut short in Kanpur and Soren brought back to AIIMS.
    
Soren, a tribal from Kathikund village in Dumka district, had been shot in the eye in police firing in Dumka during a demonstration against land acquisition for a power plant on December 3 last year.
    
The bullet, which has blinded him, remains embedded in his brain. He was referred to AIIMS by a government hospital in Jharkhand on January 5 but was brought here by the state police on January 31.
    
The AIIMS initially refused admission, reportedly arguing that he had been brought late. It was only on the intervention of Delhi High Court on Tuesday, that AIIMS admitted him.

Soren is in judicial custody because of his alleged participation in the protest during which he sustained bullet injury.
    
His release from AIIMS last evening remains a mystery with differing versions being given in this regard.
    
His family said Jharkhand Police team suddenly told them that Soren has been discharged and they should leave for home.
    
Such was the hurry that they boarded the next available train -- Patna-bound Jansadharan Express, his family said.
    
Soren was taken away despite Delhi High Court direction that he be taken to Vimhans Hospital for second opinion after AIIMS said surgery on him at this stage was not possible.

Superintendent of Police, Dumka, Arun Kumar Singh initially said that Soren had been discharged from AIIMS.
    
However, later he directed the police team to go back to Delhi.

When AIIMS authorities came to know that Soren was not there, they informed Sarojini Nagar police station that the patient had left the hospital on his own. "But no complaint was lodged in this regard as reported in media," a senior Delhi Police officer said.

He said Soren had been taken from AIIMS by the Jharkhand police team due to "some confusion".
   
"Doctors at AIIMS had referred Soren to RP eye clinic for check up. After examining the patient, doctors at the clinic asked the police personnel to take him back. The police team thought that doctors had asked them to take Soren back to his
state and they headed for Jharkhand," he said.

He would be taken to Vimhans Hospital as per the court directions.