GORAKHPUR/NEW DELHI: It was a nightmarish night for the Khan family in Gorakhpur. Just settling for the night after a parched day of roza they got word that their brother Kashif Jameel Ahmad Khan had been shot at and severely injured near the Gorakhnath temple as reported first In The Citizen last night. Dr-Kafeel-Khans-Brother-Shot-in-Gorakhpur-Condition-Very-Serious

But then began the ordeal that could have killed Khan who till then had survived the three bullets, two that had gone through his body and the third that was lodged in his neck. The police swung into action and insisted that they needed a medico-legal examination before they would allow any surgery. This despite the neuro-surgeon’s insistence that an immediate surgery to stop the blood flow, and dislodge the bullet from the neck was necessary.

Despite protest, the Khan family supervised by their own Dr Kafeel Khan, agreed and their brother was taken to the district hospital where the medico legal examination was conducted. He was then brought back to Star hospital but they were stopped again by the cops who insisted that this was not enough and he should be taken to the Medical College for the same medico legal examination. And that would be done only after a medical board was constituted and met.

The brothers protested as Kashif Jameel was losing blood, and further time lost would clearly further jeopardise his life. The police refused to listen, and brought in a force of 40 odd constables, with vehicles, blocked their way and refused to let them take the injured man into the hospital for the surgery. There was a heated and angry conversation with the police not allowing the victim to get medical treatment and the family had no choice but to agree to take the long 15 Kilomentre drive to the Medical College.

On reaching there, they were informed that no neuro surgeon was available. And hence the medico legal examination could not be carried out. They took the long journey back to Star Hospital and a surgery that should have taken place at 11 pm was finally carried out four long hours later, after 3 pm. The patient was in deep agony and pain, with the blood barely flowing out of the wounds. “He could have died, we just do not know why this was being done,” Dr Kafeel Khan told The Citizen.

Their old mother was asleep and the men had left the house without informing her at night. She woke up for sehri in the morning to find the house deserted. She finally took a rickshaw and arrived at the hospital, a brave lady whose only plea made to some of the media present was that her family be provided protection. Of course no one in the UP Administration has even acknowledged the attack let alone the plea.

The family was finally given a copy of the FIR late afternoon. They still have to receive a copy of the medico legal examination and report. Local officials have said these copies will be given after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who is currently in Gorakhpur leaves the city for Lucknow today.

There is fear but also support with messages of solidarity pouring in from all over the country. This keeps the Khans going, particularly Dr Kafeel Khan whose family is now being made to pay a price after his over eight month stint in jail for doing little more than saving the lives of children. Through this period he was lodged in the jail with 160 criminals, sharing an open toilet, with his family’s pleas for moving him to non-criminal lodgings in prison unheard. The bail plea too kept getting deferred for eight long months.

The family has been going through “sheer hell” since that fateful day when the oxygen supply ran out at the BRD hospital and Dr Khan rushed to help tackle the emergency situation. He is barely out of jail, that his brother has now been shot at. That he was not killed is not for want of trying as the assailants shot him in the neck as well. Till date there are no details of the assault, of the persons involved. The police has made no effort to recover the CCTV footage or find eyewitnesses to piece together the deadly crime.

But “we will not bend” Kafeel Khan said pointing out to The Citizen that they had taken a cue from their mother, a singularly brave woman who took a rickshaw at 5pm to reach the hospital and sit quietly, without hysteria, by the side of her son who she had nearly lost.

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