Acid Attack on 24-Year-Old Woman in Kashmir Draws Public Ire; 3 Arrested

The woman sustained acid burns on her face and eyes and was taken to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital.

Three persons have been arrested for attacking a 24-year-old woman with acid on the evening of Tuesday, 1 February, in Srinagar, said Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday, 2 February.

The woman, originally from the Eidgah area, was attacked at around 6 pm, outside her business unit at Osmania colony.

She sustained acid burns on her face and eyes and was immediately taken to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under Superintendent of Police Raja Zuhaib to investigate the attack.

The SIT probe has, so far, revealed that the prime accused, who is one among the arrested, used to work at a medical store. On Tuesday, he arrived at the woman's business unit on a two-wheeler and allegedly threw acid on her face as she had rejected his marriage proposal.

Public Outrage

On Wednesday, Salman Sagar, a National Conference youth leader called for swift action against the perpetrators during a demonstration at Jehangeer Chowk of Srinagar, where scores of people had gathered in protest against the incident.

Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference also condemned the incident, stating that such actions had no place in a civilised society. It affirmed that the authorities were taking all the necessary steps to attain justice for the survivor.

Mohit Bhan, the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party, also gave a statement against the incident, saying that targeted abuse and harassment of women must come to an end, both online and offline.

Several people also took to Twitter to condemn the attack, with some even blaming it on drugs.

Not a First

This is the second such acid attack in Kashmir in the last four months. Previously, an 18-year-old was attacked on 5 October 2021 in Shopian district of South Kashmir. She had sustained acid burns on her face, and two people were arrested in the case.

(Inputs from The New Indian Express and The Hindu.)