A 21-year-old girl sustained critical burn injuries after an unidentified man threw acid at her while she was heading for her tuition classes with a woman friend near her house in Northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area on Tuesday afternoon. Police suspect that the girl could have been attacked by a man who was obsessed with her. However, her family denied it and claimed that she never complained to them about ever being harassed by a boy.
A senior police officer said, “The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon when the victim along with her friend was going for tuition classes. As per the statement given by the girl, someone called out her name. When she turned around, someone threw a flammable substance at her,”
The girl managed to save her face but the substance fell on her hands and chest. The victim’s friend raised an alarm and the locals rushed to their help.
“A call was made to the local police and the girl was rushed to Babu Jag Jivan Ram Hospital where she is undergoing treatment,” said the officer.
Police said they have registered an FIR under Section 326 B (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid) at the Jehangirpuri Police Station.
As per the data available with the Delhi Police, from 2015 till 2018, 83 cases of acid attack have been registered. Out of which, in these cases, 55 persons have been arrested.
In 2013, the Supreme Court had completely prohibited over-the-counter sale of the chemical unless the seller maintains a log/register recording the address and other details of the buyer, and the quantum. Giving this interim direction, effective until rules were framed by States and Union Territories, a Bench of Justices RM lodha and Ibrahim Kalifulla, hearing the petition filed by acid attack victim laxmi, had said all dealers should sell the chemical only after the buyer showed a Government-issued photo identity card and specified the purpose of purchase. The seller should submit the details of sale to the local police within three days of the transaction; no acid should be sold to any person under 18 and all stocks must be declared with the local sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) in 15 days. Undeclared stocks could be confiscated and the defaulter fined up to Rs 50, 000.