Mother alleges minor daughter forced to drink acid

A woman has alleged her minor daughter was forced to drink acid by unidentified persons in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji area following which a case was registered though the police say the girl might have consumed something herself "under depression".
The girl, a class X student of a school in Kalkaji, complained of stomach pain after she reached school yesterday morning, a senior police official said.
The school authorities then informed her mother and took her to a hospital from where she was later discharged and taken home in Sangam Vihar.
However, two hours later, the mother took her to Safdarjung Hospital and alleged that she was forced to drink acid by unidentified men near her school yesterday, who were harassing and stalking since the past one month, the police official said.

Safdarung Hospital authorities, when contacted, said the girl has been kept in the critical care unit.
"Prima facie, it's not like a case where the girl was forced to drink acid. There were no external injuries on the girl's body and she is fully conscious and is talking with her mother," the official said.

The police hasn't ruled out the possibility of a "suicide bid" by the girl.
"The girl's parents are going through a divorce and she was allegedly depressed about her parents' separation. She could have consumed something under depression. It cannot be said with surety whether she attempted suicide," the official said.

A case has been registered at Kalkaji Police Station a case under section 326-A (voluntary causing grievous hurt by use of acid)) of India Penal Code (IPC) against unknown persons and is investigating the matter.
"We haven't been able to corroborate the details. The auto driver who dropped her off to school didn't mention about the girl being followed or being forced to drink anything. The CCTV footage from the area also didn't show that the girl was being stalked or forced to consume something. We are investigating the matter," he said.
Police, however says a sample of the liquid that the girl allegedly consumed has been sent for forensic examination and the report is awaited.

"The girl's mother is claiming that the girl was being harassed for last one month and she had even stopped going to school because of the constant harassment. However, she resumed school after being called by the authorities and yesterday she was allegedly forced to consume two bottles of acid by her harassers," he added.
Police is investigating the case from all angles and is questioning her friends and other eyewitnesses to know the sequence of events.