![\"\u2018Scars](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-132673202,imgsize-200552,width-400,height-225,resizemode-75\/irshad-shaikh-underwent-3-surgeries.jpg\" "\\"Irshad")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNEW DELHI: \u201cI will never regret it. This incident will stay with me till my last breath, but I\u2019ll always remember it positively,\u201d said 25-year-old Irshad Shaikh, days after being discharged from hospital.Shaikh, who underwent three surgeries after sustaining multiple pellet injuries to his face, neck and upper body during the July 20 protest, said he is now out of danger.Although he had planned to return to his hometown of MP\u2019s Jabalpur for further recovery, he has postponed the trip until doctors complete his post-operative review.\u201cMy parents want me to come home as soon as possible. They are worried about me. But for now, I have to stay in Delhi because of follow-up check-ups,\u201d he said.Shaikh said despite the injuries he suffered, he does not regret joining the protest. \u201cMy parents have always taught me that everything happens for a good reason.\u201dReferring to then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan<\/a>\u2019s resignation, Shaikh said he felt the movement had achieved its objective.\u201cI was the happiest when I saw the news. I felt the cause for which we had been protesting had been fulfilled. Whatever happened to me and to other students was not in vain. It is our victory,\u201d he said.According to Shaikh, on July 20, security personnel began pushing demonstrators back after the situation turned tense. He alleged that amid the chaos, one personnel pointed a pellet gun at him and fired, leaving him with injuries to his face, eye area, neck, shoulder and chest.He was rushed to Lady Hardinge Hospital by bystanders on a scooter, where doctors performed multiple surgeries to remove pellets lodged in different parts of his body.While the physical scars remain, Shaikh said he will choose to remember the experience with resilience rather than bitterness. \u201cI have no anger and no regrets. Life will move on, and so will I,\u201d he said.Sahil Lochab, 19, who suffered pellet injuries to his right eye, continues to undergo treatment, his father Deepak said Monday.\u201cAnother operation is pending, but the doctors are saying the same thing \u2014 that the chances of him regaining his eyesight are less than 1%. We are just hoping for a miracle,\u201d he said. \u201cMy son is not well… At this stage, I can only say we are focused on his treatment and praying that he recovers.\u201dFor many others, like 18-year-old journalism student Vishu, the events of July 20 have left more than bruises.\u201cI was simply walking back when a Delhi Police<\/a> officer suddenly hit me with a lathi without any provocation,\u201d he recalled. He said that before he could even reach the protest site around noon, tear gas shells were fired.As his eyes burned and his vision blurred, he began walking away when, he alleged, four policemen started thrashing him.Delhi Police has denied students were harassed, maintaining personnel acted with restraint and used force only after protesters turned violent and resorted to stone-pelting.However, in a purported video shared on social media, Vishu is seen walking with his backpack before being slapped by cops. \u201cI always believed police were there to protect citizens, but being beaten despite being peaceful has shaken that trust,\u201d he said.Vishu is considering legal options. \u201cSuch incidents must be investigated fairly so no one else has to face unnecessary violence while exercising their democratic rights,\u201d he said.Several accounts of injuries have emerged, most involving protesters aged between 18 and 26.Among them is 26-year-old Lav Kush Prajapati, who said he was following Abhijeet Dipke\u2019s convoy when he was lathicharged, suffering fractures in his knees and ankle, besides a head injury.He says he still struggles to sleep. \u201cI\u2019ll remember that day till the end of my life. We were just making sure nobody indulged in violence. When a policeman thrashed me, I kept wondering, \u2018Why?\u2019\u201dDelhi Police claimed many protesters displayed \u201cunruly, aggressive and violent behaviour\u201d and refused to disperse prohibitory orders.Aaheli Bhattacharjee, 20, who is recovering from injuries to her arms and legs, recalled joining other women in forming a human chain opposite women police personnel.\u201cI remember thinking that, as a girl and a peaceful protester, nothing bad would happen. I was proven wrong\u2026 We were just asking the education system to be fixed, but police decided to respond with brutality.\u201d<\/div>\n