Two held after police encounter for acid attack on bride-to-be in Maharajganj
Anil Verma, who owns a pharmacy, wanted to marry the survivor. His employee, Ram Bachan, executed the attack. The woman’s wedding was scheduled on December 10
The owner of a medical store and his pharmacist-employee had planned and executed the acid attack on a 25-year-old woman in Maharajganj’s Bitthauli area on Thursday, police said. Both were arrested on Saturday following an encounter with a police team in which the duo suffered bullet injuries, they added.
While the store owner, identified as Anil Verma, wanted to marry the survivor, his employee, Ram Bachan, executed the attack, said UP Police special director general (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar. The woman’s wedding was scheduled on December 10, he added.
On Thursday, the woman was severely injured after a two-wheeler-borne masked man threw acid on her when she and her mother were returning home. She suffered burns on her face and eyes and was admitted to BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur.
Kumar said the survivor knew Anil Verma and often visited his store. Verma, meanwhile, was upset when she decided to marry another man. So, he conspired with Bachan to force her to call off the wedding. “On Thursday, the mother and daughter visited Verma’s store. After this, he asked Bachan to throw acid from a car battery on the woman in return for ₹15,000. He believed that acid from car batteries would not do much harm to the woman and he will manage to win her love again,” the senior police official added.
After himself dropping off the two women near their house, Verma tipped off Bachan about their location and movement. He said the employee on his behest executed the crime and fled from the scene. “The key accused (Verma) later returned and rushed the two women to a hospital and even tried to convince them not to register an FIR. But a police investigation exposed his role in the attack within 24 hours,” he said.
