Around 6 p.m., on Tuesday, she was returning to her home from work. Suddenly, some young boys stopped her and threw the acid on her face and she lay on the street, groaning in pain.
Today, the 24-year-old is battling for life with a disfigured face in a hospital in Srinagar. Outside the Intensive Care Unit Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital, her father and sisters await her recovery.
A resident of Srinagar’s downtown area, she 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 parlour,” the survivor’s cousin told The Kashmiriyat.
“We want stringent punishments for the culprits so that such attacks are not repeated. We want girls of Kashmir to feel safe in the future,” the family member said.
Demanding monetary compensation for the girl’s treatment the family said, “The family cannot afford the expenses for her treatment. The Government should pay for the treatment of the girl.”
The doctors at the hospital upon being contacted said, “The face and the eyes of the 24-year-old are partially damaged and we do not know if she will regain her eyesight as of yet,” a doctor said at the condition of anonymity.
The incident sparked outrage on the streets of Kashmir. Widespread protest demonstrations were staged in various parts of Srinagar to express solidarity with the survivor. “We demand stringent punishment to the culprits,” a young protester told The Kashmiriyat.
Meanwhile, the Jammu Kashmir Police, on Wednesday, claimed that they arrested the attacker and his two accomplices. Police also said that it sealed the shop that sold the acid in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines.
“During the initial questioning, 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 Police said in its statement.
In its statement, the Jammu Kashmir Police further said that the accused worked at a medical shop and on Tuesday evening, he took a break from work.
The main accused along with his accomplice went to the area where the girl used to work, the Police said, adding, “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.”
Third incident in less than five months
In October, two youth were allegedly attacked with acid near toilets of the Bus Stand in Poonch.
In the same month, a girl was attacked with acid in Kral Check area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district.