HYDERABAD: Russian cyclist Oleg Vershini may never come back to India as his experience here was nothing short of a nightmare. On April 6, he was thrashed black and blue by two farmers in Kamareddy district, who claimed his behaviour was “strange”. The cyclist is now recovering in the orthopaedic ward of Osmania General Hospital, but he is still hassled.
The 45-year-old cyclist, who only speaks Russian, is unable to convey to doctors his pains and ailments. Curious fellow patients keep staring at him hoping to grasp a word or two, but in vain. Luckily, the doctor attending to him has a brother who studied MBBS in Russia. She calls him up and Vershini vents his pain and anguish over the phone.
Vershini is being treated for injuries to the skull and broken bones, but he can’t wait to board his Moscow-bound flight on April 23. “India is a beautiful country. I was on my way to Shirdi when I decided to stay back on an agricultural field in that village,” explains Vershini talking to Express.
“India is a beautiful country. I was on my way to Shirdi when I decided to stay back on an agricultural field in that village. Suddenly, two people came to me and asked why I was staying there. They could not understand what I was telling them. Next, they started beating me up with sticks and even hurled stones,’’ the Russian national told Express in an interaction through Google translate.
The locals say that Vershinin, pulled out a spray to shoo his attackers away. But they got even more enraged and thrashed him. “My only intention was to stay there as it was growing dark. All through my trip I have been staying in open fields for the night and then continuing my journey the next morning. The people here misunderstood me,’’ he says, still in deep pain.
When asked whether he would return to India, he chose not to reply. ‘’Doctors have informed me that I have to undergo a surgery. I just want to go back to my country,’’ he said.
At OGH, there was no one who was able to speak to him in Russian. The situation was the same when OGH duty RMO Dr P Sushma walked in to check on him on Sunday evening.
“It was only after he spoke to my brother that we were able to understand his health issues. Date of his surgery will be decided tomorrow,” Dr Sushma said adding that since it is a government hospital, all medical treatment is free of cost.
Police files case against Vershini and farmers
Kamareddy: Police registered cases on Russian Cyclist V. Oleg and a farmer Y Mahendar Reddy who manhandled each other at road side village of Guradakunta under Bhiknoor police station limits of Kamareddy district on Thursday. Kamareddy district Superintendent of Police N Swetha told Express the incident taken place with mistaken identity. She said they were registered cases by considering the complaints of both under IPC sections.