NEW DELHI: A 19-year-old DU student suffered burn injuries after being attacked with acid, allegedly by a stalker and his two associates, in northwest Delhi’s Ashok Vihar on Sunday.In her statement, the victim, a second-year student enrolled in a non-collegiate programme at a college, said she was on her way to attend an additional class in Ashok Vihar when she was attacked around 11am. Police were alerted around 12pm after she was taken to a hospital with burns. “She was walking towards the college when a man she knew, identified as Jitender, along with his associates Ishan and Arman, approached on a bike. Ishan allegedly handed over a bottle to Arman, who threw acid at her. The trio then fled,” a senior police officer said.
I kept screaming, but no one stopped to help: Acid-attack survivorAs the victim tried to protect her face, she sustained injuries on both the hands and arms, the officer said. He added that she alleged Jitender had been stalking her for nearly a year, and a heated argument had taken place between them about a month ago.The victim told TOI that she was on her way to submit an assignment. “I usually take a rickshaw from home and then walk the rest of the way to college. I was walking through a lane and hadn’t noticed anyone following me. Suddenly, a bike came and they attacked me and sped away.” As the attackers came near, the woman instinctively raised her bag to shield her face. The chemical splashed onto her hands and bag, leaving her with severe burns. Despite the intense pain, she tried to reach for her phone to call for help, but the phone, along with its cover, was damaged in the attack, and she could barely move her hands.“I kept screaming for help. Somehow, I managed to reach the main road and began trying to stop passing vehicles one after the other, but no one stopped. I began to feel dizzy,” she recalled. “Finally, an elderly man on a scooter stopped to help. He called the cops and took me to the police station.” She was taken to a nearby hospital and later shifted to RML Hospital.The woman alleged that Jitender, who is married and has two children, would follow her in her locality and make obscene remarks. Last month, she confronted him and visited his house to speak to his wife, after which the couple allegedly threatened her. Terrified, the woman, who wants to pursue an LLB, followed by a master’s degree after completing her undergraduate studies, stopped going to college for nearly a month. Her father was out of town for work, and she had only briefly mentioned the incident to her mother. “I was scared for my life,” she said.Sunday, however, was important — she had to submit an assignment before her exams began. Her birthday was coming up on Dec 2, yet her focus remained only on her studies and the exams scheduled for Dec 10. “The day I finally gathered the courage to step out, I was attacked,” she said. Police have registered a case under BNS sections related to voluntarily causing grievous hurt using acid or corrosive substances. CCTV footage from the area is being examined to track the suspects.In Aug, a man was arrested in Pandav Nagar for allegedly throwing a chemical-like substance at his estranged wife following an argument. In 2023, a 17-year-old girl in central Delhi’s Anand Parbat was attacked with acid while accompanying her younger sister to school.