Yet another attack on a 45-year-old woman from Unchahar of Raebareli district at her hostel in Aliganj on Saturday night baffled police as it was allegedly the fifth attack on her.
After the attack she was rushed to the Trauma Centre of KGMU where she was undergoing treatment. The doctors attending her said that she suffered burns probably due to some acid-like liquid but was out of danger. She suffered injuries on the right side of her face, neck and stomach.
The woman was first gangraped in 2008 over some property dispute. In 2012, some people attacked her with a knife. In 2013, acid was thrown at her. In December last year, some people threatened to rape her daughter as well.
On March 23 this year, she was allegedly forced to drink acid on lucknow-bound train and following the incident, the State Government had provided her a security cover consisting of two gunners.
“We sent a team of Forensic experts to inspect the spot. But no trace of acid-like substance was recovered from the spot. The hostel superintendent is also unaware of the attack. The staff is also nonplussed and her two body guards, who were present at the gate near the place of attack, also have no clue about the attackers,” said SSP lucknow Deepak Kumar. He said the police did not find any clue of who threw acid on her despite an intense examination of the place where she was attacked. “The doctors are yet to conclude if the liquid thrown on her was an acid,” he added.
The SSP said the woman did not lodge any complaint as yet. “We talked to her husband and asked him if he wanted to lodge a case. But he is yet to take a call on it,” he said.
About the possible suspects, he said the persons, who earlier were accused of forcing her to drink acid while on board a train, were present at their houses. “In fact a police team was sent immediately at their house to detain them. The incident was reported around 8 pm on Saturday and the possible suspects were picked from their houses at around 8.45 pm. In the light of these facts, it was practically not possible for them to attack the victim in lucknow and then reach Unchahar,” he said.
He said police were working on the case and examining the footage of the CCTVs. “We have not got any eyewitness, any supporting clue or any clinching evidence which pointed that the woman was attacked by acid on Saturday night,” he explained.
The woman works with lucknow’s Sheroes Hangout Cafe, (an institute that was set up by activists to empower acid attack survivors across the State). She was standing near the washroom at the Shramjeevi Hostel and was talking on her phone when she was allegedly attacked, sources said.