Raj Thackeray's wife stable after dog bite

Mumbai, Aug 19
The condition of Sharmila, wife of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, was reported to be stable on Wednesday after she was seriously hurt following a dog bite, party sources said here.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when one of their two pet Great Danes, Bond bit Sharmila sharply on the face at their house Krushna Kunj in Dadar when Raj was addressing the media.

Bleeding profusely and in a state of shock, she was rushed to the Hinduja Hospital nearby and had to undergo emergency surgery necessitating 65 stitches on her face.

Later in the evening, she underwent facial plastic surgery to conceal the bite marks, the source said, adding that she was stable now and under the care of plastic surgeon Anil Tibrewala.

It was revealed that the bite was so sharp that the dog's teeth ripped her face and almost touched the facial bones.

The provocation for Bond suddenly attacking and biting Sharmila is not yet clear especially since the family loves canines and have another dog named James, completing the 'James-Bond' pair.

The entire Thackeray family including Raj, son Amit and daughter Urvashi were beside her.

Sharmila, a home-maker, is the daughter of Marathi theatre and film actor-producer Mohan Wagh.