Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) A day after being admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, suspected Maoist conduit Soni Sori, allegedly tortured in police custody, Friday underwent tests for her medical condition, doctors said.

“The board of doctors held an internal meeting. They examined her today and prescribed some primary tests as part of clinical evaluation,” sources from the premier health institute told IANS.

“Some basic tests like blood tests and others will be done to first see examine her physical condition. She is doing fine as of now,” the source said.

The 35-year old tribal teacher, from conflict-ridden Dantewada district, was admitted to AIIMS after the Supreme Court directed the premier health institute for the medical examination on whether she was tortured in Chattisgarh Police custody.

“We will do our job as per the court’s order. The board will decide the future course of action,” the source added.

Sori was admitted to AIIMS Thursday afternoon, after spending a day at an unidentified police lockup in south Delhi as the AIIMS administration stated “unavailability of beds”.

As per the Supreme Court’s directive, the institution has constituted a three-member board for the medical examination.

The board of doctors has to submit its report to the apex court before July 10. The board includes the head of the department of gynaecology, a cardiac specialist and an endocrinologist to examine and provide her adequate treatment.

Accused of receiving ‘protection money’ from the Essar group on behalf of the rebels, Sori had alleged that she was tortured by Chattisgarh Police. She had informed the court that foreign particles had been thrust into her private parts.

“Soni has complained of blisters in her vaginal area and burning sensation. There is some swelling in legs, her hemoglobin level is low and her deteriorating health is worrying,” counsel Colin Gonsalves told IANS.

“She has made a request to be shifted to the Jagdalpur jail, closer to her family, instead of Raipur, once discharged from the hospital. It is not possible for her three children to travel 350 km to see her in Raipur,” Gonsalves added.

Sori was arrested Oct 4 in south Delhi by a Chhattisgarh police team and was taken to Dantewada.

A special team from a Kolkata hospital had earlier submitted a report to the apex court stating that it had recovered a certain foreign particle from her body, but could not identify the “reasons how it got embedded in her private parts”.

Sori’s husband and nephew are also in jail for allegedly being in league with the insurgency groups, while her father was shot at by Maoist rebels on suspicion of being in cohorts with police.