Patna: A 24-year-old woman attacked a man with acid, causing severe burn injuries to his face, after he allegedly refused to marry her in Vaishali district of Bihar, police said on Tuesday, adding that the woman has been arrested while search was on for another unidentified accused.
The woman in her confession said the man refused to marry her, following which she decided to deform his face, say police.
According to the police, the incident took place at Simarwada village under the Patepur police station jurisdiction area in the early hours of Tuesday. The victim, Dharmendra Kumar (22), a taxi driver by profession, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hajipur, police said.
The victim and the accused woman, Sarita Kumari (24), both neighbours, have been in a relationship for the past five months, Vaishali superintendent of police (SP) Ravi Ranjan Kumar said.
“Dharmendra received a call around 2am from the woman, who wished to meet him. The incident took place as he was about to leave after meeting the woman at her home. He was attacked with acid on his face by the woman and an unidentified man, believed to be her acquaintance, who is currently absconding,” the SP said.
After the incident, local residents rushed the victim to the hospital after hearing his screams.
“The woman was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after Dharmendra recorded his statement before the police in the private hospital at Hajipur,” the SP said. “He has suffered severe burns in his eyes and face.”
In his statement, the victim informed the police that he had been talking to the woman for the past five months. Preliminary investigation suggested that the woman, a mother of three, had separated from her husband a while back.
During her interrogation, the woman confessed that Dharmendra did not want to marry her. His family fixed his marriage to another woman, following which she decided to deform his face, the SP said.
“The victim has alleged that the woman and her associate threw acid on him. Verification is going on, based on which we will take appropriate action,” the SP said. “We have registered an FIR [first information report] against both accused under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (criminal act done by several persons) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).”
Further investigation is underway to ascertain the identity of the other accused and nab him, the officer added.
