Irked by the noise of the children playing outside his shop, a shopkeeper threw acid at an 11 year-old boy at East Delhi's Raghubar Pura on Tuesday morning. 24 hours after the child sustained burn injuries, he lays unconscious and is battling for his life at the lok Nayak hospital. Police on Wednesday said they have booked the shopkeeper, identified as Deepak and have arrested him under relevant sections of the law.
According to police, the injured boy has been identified as Roshan, a Class II student in a Government school.
Roshan is the eldest son among two brothers and a sister. His father, Ashok Mahto, a native of Bihar, lives with his family at the Raghbarpura area in a rented accommodation.
A senior police officer said, "The incident took place on Tuesday morning at the Raghubar Pura area where Roshan was playing with other children in the vicinity of his house.
Since Roshan was playing outside the shop of Deepak, who runs a confectionary shop, Deepak asked Roshan and the other children not to create noise as he is getting disturbed.
Despite repeatedly telling the child, the children did not listen. Angered by their constant chatter, Deepak took a bottle of acid and threw it at Roshan.
Roshan, drenched completely in the inflammable substance, ran to his mother. when Roshan's mother, Ruby went over to Deepak's shop to complain about the acid, he yelled at her and asked her to leave.
Feeling sick, the child started developing health problems and was rushed to the Chacha Nehru hospital. Since the child had sustained severe burn injuries, he was referred to the lok Nayak hospital where he is undergoing treatment.
For the past 24 hours, the child is unconscious," added the officer.
The Delhi Police, on the complaint of Roshan's father registered an FIR under section 326 A (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid) of the Indian Penal Code.
Police on Wednesday said that they are waiting for the child to regain consciousness. "Only then, we will add other sections to the case. the shirt of the child has been sent to the Forensic Science laboratory for examination," added the police officer.