Injured Uttar Pradesh minister to undergo plastic surgery

Lucknow, July 15 : Uttar Pradesh minister Nand Gopal alias Nandi, who continues to be on life support system four days after he was critically injured in a bomb blast, will undergo plastic surgery here for his badly burnt hands Thursday.

The surgery would be performed at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, where Gopal was admitted after the blast in Allahabad Monday.

"The minister received multiple injuries and both his hands were badly burnt in the blast. As the minister is recovering fast, we have decided to go for the surgery of his hands later today (Thursday)," A.K. Bhatt, medical superintendent of the institute, told reporters.

"The medical tests of the patient (minister) shows normal recovery. But he is still on life support system because of the severe pain in his deep wounds."

According to the officials, the condition of police constable Sanjay, who was also injured in the blast and is being treated at the critical care unit (CCU) of the institute, continues to be critical.

Splinters are still present in a portion of Sanjay's brain, they added.

A 45-year-old man was killed and five, including Nandi, the minister for finance (stamps and registrations), were critically injured in the bombing Monday afternoon near the minister's house in Mutthiiganj locality of Allahabad, about 200 km from here.

Amongst the injured was Indian Express correspondent Vijay Pratap Singh, who was at the Indian Army's R and R Hospital in New Delhi where he was air-lifted from Allahabad Tuesday evening.