Class-8 girl dodges acid attack in Ludhiana, teen boy arrested - Hindustan Times
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Class-8 girl dodges acid attack in Ludhiana, teen boy arrested

Hindustan Times, Ludhiana | ByHT Correspondent
Mar 16, 2019 10:45 PM IST

As she raised the alarm and took shelter in a shop, onlookers gathered at the scene, and sounded the police.

Apprehending commission of similar crime in the future, the police have arrested an 18-year-old boy after he allegedly threw acid at a 16-year-old girl in Santokh Nagar, New Shivpuri, on Saturday.

(Representative image)
(Representative image)

However, the girl dodged the attack and escaped unscathed. Wary of legal proceedings, the girl’s parents have refused to pursue a police case.

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Empowered to arrest the accused to prevent repeat of the offence, the police arrested the accused, Mustafa, resident of Ganesh Nagar, Shivpuri, under Sections 107 (apprehension of breach of peace and tranquillity of an area) and 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Victim was headed to school

Police said the girl, a Class 8 student, was on her way to take an exam at her school on Saturday morning, when Mustafa, a hosiery worker, waylaid her and threw acid at her. But the girl managed to instantly sidestep, and escaped unhurt.

As she raised the alarm and took shelter in a shop, onlookers gathered at the scene, and sounded the police. When cops approached the girl’s parents, who live nearby, they refused to lodge a complaint, stating that it will affect their daughter’s matrimonial prospects in the future.

However, sensing the seriousness of the crime and apprehending a similar attack by him in the future, the police arrested the accused later in the evening.

Was talking girl for months

The girl told the police that Mustafa had been stalking her for the past few months and pressuring her to marry him. On Saturday morning, he intercepted her on the way to school and insisted that she marry him. When she refused, he started hurling abuses at her and threw the acid from a bottle.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, City 1) Gurpreet Singh Sikand said the acid that the accused was carrying was used to clean toilet hardware. He had procured it from a street vendor.

Sikand said the victim and the accused lived in the same locality. “As her family was reluctant to lodge an FIR, police arrested the boy as the crime was heinous.

Earlier on November 16, 2018, a masked man had thrown acid on the face of a 24-year-old woman, four days after her engagement, in Puneet Nagar at Tibba road and fled. Later, the police had arrested the victim’s neighbour for the attack.

Ban on sale of acid without licence

In line with a Supreme Court court order, commissioner of police Sukhchain Singh Gill has already banned over-the-counter sale of acid in the district without a licence. In his order, Gill had directed acid sellers to renew their licences timely to avoid police action. They were also told to take the photocopy of the buyer’s identity proof. Besides, sale of acid to customers below 18 years of age is also banned.

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