Raiganj: Class XII student battles for his life after acid attack; locals demand swift action

RAIGANJ: Tension gripped the Subashganj area under Raiganj Police Station of North Dinajpur district on Wednesday morning after a Class XII student was seriously injured in a brutal acid attack by miscreants. Major portion of his body were reportedly burnt. He is undergoing treatment in the burn unit of Raiganj Government Medical College & Hospital.

The victim, Jahander Alam (18), a science student at Raiganj Kailash Chandra Radharani Vidyapith, was allegedly attacked on his way home after attending private tuition.

The gruesome incident has sparked outrage and fear among residents of Raiganj, who demanded stringent punishment for those responsible. Locals also urged police to increase patrolling in the area to prevent such heinous crimes in the future.

According to reports, Jahander, a resident of Bhulkai village under Bahin Gram Panchayat, was staying in a rented house at Bandor, Raiganj, for his studies. On Wednesday morning while he was cycling back from tuition, two unidentified youths on a motorbike intercepted him near a commercial hall at Subashganj. They allegedly threw acid on him and attempted to pour petrol, apparently to set him on fire.

Hearing his screams, locals rushed to the spot and managed to rescue Jahander.

The attackers fled as residents chased them. The injured student was immediately taken to Raiganj Medical College and Hospital with severe burns.

His condition was stated to be critical. Najmul Hoque, the victim’s father and a daily wage labourer, expressed anguish and demanded swift action. He stated: “After years of hard work, we managed to educate our son in the science stream. We don’t know why anyone would want to harm him. We have lodged a complaint with the police and want the

culprits arrested soon”.

Raiganj police have launched an investigation into the incident. Biswasroy Sarkar, Inspector-in-Charge of Raiganj Police Station, said: “We have registered a case and initiated a probe. The criminals involved in the attack will be caught soon.”