Delhi acid attack: 18-yr-old girl battles for life; suspect arrested

The accused not only threw acid on her but also forced her to drink it

An 18-year-old girl is battling for her life at AIIMS after she was attacked with acid by her jilted lover in southeast Delhi's Sangam Vihar on Wednesday.

The attack took place around 10:30 am when the girl was going to her office, barely a kilometre from her house. She is undergoing treatment at AIIMS and her condition is critical. The accused has been arrested, police said.

"The accused and the girl were in a relationship but had broken up. She was about to get married to someone else and it upset the accused," said a senior police officer.

The victim's mother told police that her daughter came running home, "drenched in acid".

"Her dupatta had completely been burnt. She was crying and shouting that acid had entered her stomach," she alleged.

The accused not only threw acid on her but forced her to drink it, police said.

The girl somehow managed to free herself from his grip and ran towards home. She has suffered serious internal injuries and, they said.

The victim's family members alleged the accused is a drunkard and they had declined his proposal to marry their daughter.

He is a tailor and used to trouble the victim who works at a shoe crystal pasting factory in Sangam Vihar, they alleged.

The accused has been arrested and samples of acid, which is used for cleaning toilets have been sent to forensic science laboratory for examination, said the officer.

Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal condemned the incident and said retail sale of acid needs to be banned in the capital.

"It's terrible. Acid attacks are continuing in Delhi. Retail sale of acid should be immediately banned in Delhi. Acid sale needs to be curbed. Will take up matter of non implementation of DCW recommendations of banning retail sale of acid with Govt. (sic)," Maliwal said in a series of tweets.