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Stalker throws acid at 17-year-old girl in west Delhi, three arrested

By, New Delhi
Dec 15, 2022 02:57 PM IST

The girl, who studies in Class 12, suffered 8% burns and is undergoing treatment at Safdarjung hospital, and is currently stable.

A 17-year-old girl, who was on her way to school with her younger sister, was left battling injuries in hospital after two men on a motorcycle threw acid on her face in west Delhi’s Mohan Garden area on Wednesday morning -- an incident that was caught on CCTV and sparked outrage among citizens, activists, and political leaders across the spectrum.

The burns ward at Safdarjung Hospital where acid attack victim has been admitted. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo) PREMIUM
The burns ward at Safdarjung Hospital where acid attack victim has been admitted. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Three men have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said. One of them was stalking the girl for over three months, they added.

The girl, who studies in Class 12, suffered 8% burns and is undergoing treatment at Safdarjung hospital, and is currently stable. “We are monitoring her condition. Most of her burns are superficial but we will have to assess if there is any vision loss,” a senior doctor from Safdarjung’s plastics and burns department said.

As anger over the incident grew in west Delhi, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal called for the accused to be given the strictest of punishments, lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena sought a detailed report from police commissioner Sanjay Arora, and the Delhi and national commissions for women called for strict action against the culprits and a crackdown on the open sale of acid which is often weaponised in crimes against women.

Police and the victim’s family said the incident occurred near the Dwarka Mor Metro station. “The two sisters were walking together when one of their friends, who goes to the same school, asked them to wait as he tried to catch up with them. Suddenly, two men came on a bike and threw acid at my daughter and fled,” the victim’s mother said.

Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Harsha Vardhan said police received a call about the incident at around 9am. “It was stated that a 17-year-old girl was allegedly attacked using some acid-like substance at around 7.30am,” the DCP said.

According to police, the sister raised suspicion over the role of the stalker --Sachin Arora (20) and his friends -- Harshit Aggarwal alias Honey (19) and Virender Singh alias Sonu (22). Aggarwal was apprehended within four hours of the incident, while the other two were caught by evening, Vardhan said.

Special commissioner of police Sagar Preet Hooda said the main accused, Sachin, lives in the same locality as the two sisters. Hooda said the man started stalking the victim after she rebuffed his advances three months ago. “Sachin ordered the acid on e-Commerce website Flipkart, and was with Aggarwal while attacking the girl. The bike used in commission of crime and a phone have been recovered,” he said, adding that Singh had tried to establish Sachin’s alibi by wearing his clothes.

The girl’s parents said they did not know of anyone who may have had any enmity with their daughter. “We asked her closest friends and even her about who she suspected, but got no answers,” the mother said.

In CCTV footage of the incident which emerged on social media, the two men on the bike -- one with a muffler covering the face and the pillion rider wearing a helmet -- were seen approaching the girl, and the pillion rider was seen throwing the acid on her.

An eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, said the girl was in so much pain that a nearby shopkeeper poured cold milk on her wounds. “A few others gathered and poured water but the girl was in terrible pain,” he said, adding the assailants fled the scene immediately.

Soon after the attack came to light, Kejriwal said, “This cannot be tolerated at all. How did the criminals get so much courage? The criminals should be given the strictest punishment. The safety of every girl child in Delhi is important to us.”

The LG’s office said that Saxena spoke to the police commissioner and sought a detailed report into the incident, including as to how the acid used was procured despite a ban in the city. “LG has instructed for swift and thorough investigation so as to ensure exemplary punishment to the guilty. The LG is also in touch with the hospital authorities and has urged them to ensure the best treatment. He has also assured all possible assistance to the victim and her family,” the statement said.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir tweeted, “Words can’t do any justice. We have to instil fear of immeasurable pain in these animals.” He also asked for the “public execution” of the culprits.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) questioned where the accused had procured the acid-like substance, as the same is banned for sale.

“NCPCR has taken cognisance in the case of an acid attack on a schoolgirl in Delhi. It is the failure of the state government to seek a factual report on how the criminals got the acid despite the ban. Our team has met the doctor treating the child, the investigating officer and the family,” NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo tweeted in Hindi.

In a video uploaded on Twitter, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal said that despite the ban, acid-like chemicals are still easily available. “We have issued notice to the police over the incident. The attackers should be arrested and given stringent punishment,” she said.

Acid attack survivor and activist Laxmi Aggarwal said while sale of acid was banned by the Supreme Court in 2013, it is still freely available in the market. “Laws are made and announced every day but there are no checks on their implementation. We have conducted many campaigns against sale of acid and conducted raids ourselves. No one has license but they continue to sell,” she said.

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