The strange case of the

PUNE, June 25: This incident occurred about eight years ago, but the case is still clearly etched in my memory, simply because it has been t...

4 min readJun 26, 1998 12:00 AM IST

PUNE, June 25: This incident occurred about eight years ago, but the case is still clearly etched in my memory, simply because it has been the most unusual case I have handled in my 30-year practice,” begins Dr Ashok V Kanetkar, as he goes back to the evening he received a frantic call from the Sassoon General Hospital, asking him to perform an emergency operation to remove a foreign body from a patient’s heart. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that the foreign body would turn out to be a pen,” states this cardiac surgeon at the Ruby Hall Clinic.

It all happened when 17-year-old Master Joglekar’s two-wheeler collided with a tempo on the Senapati Bapat Road. The blow on his chest was such that the ballpoint pen in his left pocket pierced the skin. “When the boy got up, I believe, he saw half of the pen sticking out from his chest. He was rushed to Sassoon by the people around, but by the time he reached there, the pen had got totally embedded in his chest. The only thing visible was an injury point with very little blood oozing out.” When Joglekar tried to tell the doctors about the pen in his chest, few took him seriously. Some perhaps thought that it was just his way of pronouncing pain’!

“But by the time I reached the hospital, the junior doctors had already begun the operation and extracted the pen. This was after a resident on emergency duty decided to take him to the X-ray department before the operating theatre. quot;The radiologist there displayed tremendous presence of mind by taking a lateral X-ray of the chest, which clearly showed the pen inside the boy’s chest, lying backwards and pointing downwards towards the spine. In fact, it had even penetrated the heart, piercing the left arterial appendage. When they opened the boy’s chest, they found out that a small conical tip of the pen had also broken and fallen inside the chest. This, too, was removed.

“Now, once a foreign object is clogged inside the body, there is not much bleeding because the object blocks the flow, but once it is removed, the blood begins oozing out. As it happened in this case. Since the doctors present were still inexperienced, they tried to stitch up the tear in the left atrium to stop the bleeding. But the tear was in the pericardium, near the hilum of the left lung, which had to be repaired, and I did it. The entire operation took about one and a half hours. The boy had a smooth post-operative recovery and was discharged from the hospital on the 12th day. Of course, the case continued to be the talk of the hospital for months to come,” narrates Kanetkar.

According to the doctor, the boy was exceptionally lucky in that the pen did not penetrate the heart through and through or enter any valve. “In theory, there is little difference between a pen or an arrow piercing the body. If he had not been operated upon immediately, it would have been fatal.”

However, Joglekar did get some pus infection later, for which Kanetkar operated on him again, some six months later. “The boy continued to come for dressing and check-up for another two years, after which I lost contact with him,” says Kanetkar. But the doctor does recollect the boy’s father – a priest in Konkan, who came to Pune on hearing about the accident.

“The man was amazingly composed and would quietly sit by his son’s side all day long. He never questioned our treatment. Being religious, maybe he got his strength from his philosophy that everything in life is predestined.

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“Joglekar himself was studying in Std XI then, and would often tell me that his ambition was to become a doctor. However, his uncle called me up later and informed me that he could not get admission to a medical college as his Std XII results were not too good.” Perhaps the poor boy just got extremely nervous every time he picked up the pen to write his examination.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More

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