Acid attack accused seeks dropping of attempt to murder charge

Production house owner, Jerrit John, accused of attacking his ex-girlfriend with acid in 2012, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking to drop the attempt to murder charge against him.
On November 6, 2012, John, owner of 'No Nonsense' production house, threw chemical on cyclist Aryanka Hosbetkar's face at her residence. A friend of Hosbetkar, who was standing next to her, was also injured.
John was arrested and initially booked for voluntarily causing grievous hurt, wrongful restraint and trespassing. Later, the police added the more serious charge of attempt to murder (under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code). Under this charge, John faces maximum punishment of life imprisonment, while he only faces ten years in jail if convicted under the lesser charge of causing hurt.

John approached the High Court after the sessions court refused his application seeking to drop the attempt to murder charge.
According to John, Hosbetkar had only suffered minor injuries and was discharged within hours of treatment.
The police, however, told the sessions court while opposing his application that John, after throwing the chemical at Hosbetkar, had bolted her residence door from outside which meant he did not want her to get medical assistance.
They further said that had the hazardous substance entered the victim's blood stream, she could have suffered a slow and painful death.
Justice Sadhana Jadhav of the High Court has posted John's petition for hearing after two weeks.