Kounsar Bashir
The family members of the acid survivor from Srinagar say that the attack has left a deep wound on her mental well-being and that the 24-year-old still sobs in the dark of night, remembering the incident.
A resident of the Nowhatta area in Srinagar, the girl worked at a beauty parlor and is the second eldest daughter to a father who is a tailor. “It was a few years ago that she eventually decided to support her family and got a job at a beauty parlor,” the survivor’s cousin told The Kashmiriyat.
The Jammu Kashmir Police said during the course of the investigation, it came out that the accused was having an interest in the girl and since she had rejected his engagement proposal, he had been stalking her.
“The accused worked at a medical shop and on Tuesday evening, he took a break from work and along with his accomplice went to the area where the girl used to work. They chased the girl and threw acid on her before fleeing the spot. Later he went to the shop to hoodwink the law enforcing agencies.” a Police official said.
Kasher Kuur (name changed) who is admitted to the Special Eye Hospital in Chennai, still waits for her eyesight to return so that she can see the light of the day. Outside the ward is her 22-year-old sister (Arbeena) sobbing hearing the cries of her sister. She has been taking care of her sister since February 01- On the day of the attack.
Arbeena (name changed), her sister, says, “She has undergone six surgeries so far and the doctors are also unsure if she can ever see again. She cannot sleep at night, she would often wake up screaming in the dark of night. While screaming, she pleads to the family to save her from the demon who spoiled her face by throwing acid on it.”
She said that the left eye has been severely shrunk from the effects of the acid. “The doctors are doing their best and she is being given stem cell treatment. Apart from eye surgery, three skin augmentation procedures have been conducted to fix her face,” Arbeena said.
The Jammu Kashmir Police recently booked three persons, Sajid Altaf Rather and Mohammad Salim Kumar alias Tota, and a juvenile. A charge sheet of 1000 pages was also filed.
Srinagar’s Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Balwal said that we will request the court that if the daily hearing is not possible, then a speedy trial should be conducted. He also demanded “exemplary” punishment for the guilty.