Furious over his former girlfriend’s unwillingness to continue the relationship with him, a tailor allegedly made the 19-year-old woman drink acid near her house in Sangam Vihar on Wednesday morning. The victim, Priyanka, is currently hospitalised with burns while the accused, identified as Ravi Kumar later surrendered before the police.
‘No one helped’
The incident took place around 10 a.m. when Priyanka was allegedly confronted by the accused on her way to a shop. “He first had an argument with my daughter and soon forced her to consume the liquid in a glass bottle he was carrying. As the liquid moved down her throat and entered her body, she started crying in pain. There were a few people around but none helped,” said the girl’s mother.
The girl rushed to her own house as Ravi left the spot. The family informed the police and the girl was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences where she is currently hospitalised. She has burns on her face, mouth and internal organs.
Marriage was on cards
The accused, meanwhile, walked to the nearby police station where he first broke the bottle he was carrying and then turned himself in. “Ravi Kumar visited the police station and told us that he had thrown diluted acid (used to clean toilets) on Priyanka. He suspected that she was talking to some other boy,” said DCP (South East) Romil Baaniya.
The police said they suspect that the liquid used was Muriatic Acid but said test results were awaited. “Samples have been taken and sent to forensic lab,” said the police. Members of both families said the two were in a relationship and the families had discussed marriage before the caste factor forced them to decide against it.
Constant harassment
The accused was persistent and had been harassing the girl to make her to give in to his demand, even threatening and assaulting her in the process, the police said. He also allegedly suspected that the girl’s family would marry her off elsewhere which her family said wasn’t the case.
Priyanka’s sister said that it the accused’s family had called off the marriage and the victim had accepted the decision. She did not want to talk but he was adamant. “A few days ago he had slapped her,” said Priyanka’s sister.
