Proposal rejected, man throws acid on woman in Delhi

New Delhi: A 26-year-old married woman was attacked with acid by a man in outer Delhi's Bawana area after she rejected his marriage proposal, police said on Monday.

The 23-year-old accused identified as Montu has been arrested in connection with the incident which took place on November 3, they said.

The woman, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital, sustained third degree burn injuries on her face and neck and is stated to be in a "very critical" condition, police said.

Montu had even planned to kill the woman's husband and had bought a country-made pistol, they said.

According to police, the accused was known to the victim and her husband as all three are natives of Bihar and used to live in the same neighbourhood in Samaipur Badli.

However, when the couple shifted to Pooth Khurd area some time ago, the accused, who works as a labourer in a factory, followed them and shifted to the same locality.

In her statement to police, the woman told police that Montu had tried to convince her to leave her husband and tie the knot with him on several occasions but she refused everytime, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer-North) Bijendra Kumar Yadav said.

On the day of the incident, Montu called her to his room on some pretext and again asked her to leave her husband and marry him but when she refused, he tied both her hands and threw acid on her before fleeing from the spot, the officer said.

Based on the woman's statement, a case was registered and multiple teams were formed to nab the accused. Using technical assistance, Montu was arrested from Buxar, Bihar on November 6, he said.

When interrogated, Montu confessed to his crime. He said that he knew the couple for the last two-three years and had been pursuing the woman to marry him, but she kept turning down his proposal, he added.

So, the accused decided to take revenge and procured the acid and pistol from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, the DCP said.

Following his arrest, Montu was brought to Delhi and taken to the spot where he had hid the weapon in a bid to recover it. However, the accused managed to grab the gun concealed in the bushes before the police personnel could and fired at them as he tried to flee, the officer said.

Police retaliated and the accused was shot in the leg and apprehended, he added.

A separate case has been registered in this regard and further investigation is underway, he said.