20-year-old woman injured in acid attack near Delhi college

A 20-year-old woman was injured in an acid attack near Laxmi Bai College in Delhi’s Ashok Vihar area on Sunday morning. The police said the woman, a resident of Mukundpur and a second-year (non-college) student, was allegedly attacked by three men known to her.

According to the police, a call was received from Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital on October 26 regarding the admission of the woman with burn injuries. On inquiry, the victim told officers that she had gone to Laxmi Bai College for an extra class.

While she was walking towards the college, she was approached by three men on a motorcycle — identified as Jitender, Ishan and Arman, all residents of Mukundpur. The victim told police that Ishan handed over a bottle to Arman, who threw acid on her. She tried to shield her face and suffered burns on both hands. The attackers fled the spot soon after the incident.

The police said preliminary investigation revealed Jitender was known to the woman and had been stalking her. About a month ago, an argument had taken place between them. Based on her statement, the police suspect the attack may have been planned as a result of that dispute.

After receiving the information, teams from the Crime Branch and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) visited the scene and collected evidence. CCTV footage from the surrounding area is being scanned to establish the sequence of events and track the accused.

A case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at Bharat Nagar police station. The police said multiple teams had been formed to trace and arrest the three accused.

Officials said the victim is undergoing treatment at Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital. Her condition is reported to be stable. Statements of witnesses in the area are being recorded and the route taken by the accused after the attack is being verified.

The police said the investigation was in progress and efforts are being made to recover the motorcycle and identify the source of the acid.

Delhi