Man throws acid at Class 12 girl in UP after she turns him down

A Class 12 student was attacked with acid while on her way to a tuition centre in Etah on Saturday after being stopped by a 21-year-old man who had allegedly been harassing her over the phone.

A Class 12 student was attacked with acid while on her way to a tuition centre on Saturday after she spurned the advances of a 21-year-old man in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district.

File photo of a woman protesting against the growing number of acid attacks. Globally, there are as many as 1,500 recorded acid attacks each year with more than 1,000 cases estimated to occur in India alone. (Waseem Andrabi/HT File Photo)

The girl received 5% burns on her face and the neck and was admitted to a hospital. Doctors treating the girl said her condition was stable, adding that the acid used in the attack was “not very strong”.

The accused, Ajay Singh, has been arrested and booked under section 326(A) of Indian Penal Code (punishment for throwing acid).

The 17-year-old girl’s mother, who has lodged a police complaint, said Singh was harassing her daughter, asking her to be his friend.

Acid remains easily available in the country, despite a 2013 Supreme Court order to curb sales. Globally, there are as many as 1,500 recorded acid attacks each year with more than 1,000 cases estimated to occur in the country alone.

The majority of victims are women, attacked over domestic or land disputes, rejected marriage proposals or spurned sexual advances, a recent report by legal experts said.

On Saturday, police in the Uttar Pradesh town said the shopkeeper who sold acid to the accused will also face action.

With inputs from agencies