A miscreant hurled acid on the face of a woman travelling in the women's compartment of a local train on Sunday night. The woman was admitted to a hospital and her condition is to be critical. Two other women, who were standing beside her, were also injured and hospitalised.
Investigators learnt that the woman, an employee of a beauty parlour, was on her back home and had boarded the 9.40 pm Diamond Harbour local train. The train entered Kalyanpur station from Baruipur, when the miscreant jumped into the women's compartment. He then sprayed acid on the face of the woman, while injuring two other women in the process.
Meanwhile, the father of the victim alleged that a local promoter in his locality plotted the entire incident. The promoter, he said, had earlier threatened murder to his daughter and son. He hired an assassin to hurl acid on his daughter, the father further alleged. Police have started an investigation.
Prima facie investigation revealed that a local promoter, Swarup Halder, may be involved in the case. The victim's family had lodged an
FIR against Haldar a few days ago. Halder was reportedly mentally harassing the victim's father to vacate a land that the latter owned. The victim and her husband had also decided to stand against the promoter.
The local people, meanwhile, raised question about security of women in railway compartments. "Yes, such incidents have happened. But the Railway Protection Force [RPF] is only present at the compartment in the last train. It was not the last train, but the incident is really serious. The GRP [Government Railway Police] is probing the case. We are also discussing this matter," said Rabi Mahapatra, Chief Public Relations Officer, Eastern Railway.
Chairperson of West Bengal Commission for Women Sunanda Mukherjee said: "It is unfortunate that these incidents are repeatedly happening. There are several incidents reported in January and February in our state. We have a law which was enacted in 1919. But even that is not enough to curb such crimes," Mukherjee rued.
It may be recalled that, not too long ago, three incidents of acid attack took place in the state. The three incidents claimed lives of two women and left another critically injured.
The women – one in Hooghly's Tarakeswar and another in Nadia's Tehatta – succumbed to their injuries. The third acid victim battled for her life in Burdwan's Kalna and was later saved by doctors.
Several incidents have been reported from different states, despite the Supreme Court already having instructed state governments to take adequate measures against acid attacks.