‘How did they get so much courage?’: Kejriwal on Delhi acid attack; DCW takes cognisance
Two bike-borne men allegedly threw acid on a Class 12 girl while she was on the road near the Dwarka Metro station in southwest Delhi on Wednesday morning. Police have detained one person in the matter based on suspicion raised by the girl on two individuals known to her.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has called for “strictest punishment” in wake of an acid attack on a 17-year-old girl in the national capital on Wednesday morning. Taking to Twitter, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boss shared a news report and wrote, “This cannot be tolerated at all…How did the criminals get so much courage? The safety of every girl child in Delhi is important to us.”
The incident, which was caught on CCTV, showed two bike-borne men allegedly throwing acid-like substance at the girl on a street near the Dwarka Metro station in southwest Delhi. Soon after the attack, the girl appeared to be trembling and moving around vigorously. She was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital where she is currently undergoing treatment, and Delhi Police said her preliminary reports are fine.
ये बिल्कुल बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जा सकता। अपराधियों की इतनी हिम्मत आख़िर हो कैसे गई? अपराधियों को सख़्त से सख़्त सज़ा मिलनी चाहिए। दिल्ली में हर बेटी की सुरक्षा हमारे लिए महत्त्वपूर्ण है। Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 14, 2022
A doctor of the Safdarjung Hospital told news agency PTI that the girl suffered 7-8 per cent burn injuries to her face and eyes.
Deputy commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Harsha Vardhan Mandava told HT that one person has been detained in the matter following the injured girl raising suspicion over two individuals known to her. The girl, a Class 12 student of a private school, was with her younger sister when the attack occurred.
Police added that they are scanning all CCTV footage and looking at all angles to unearth the reason behind the attack.
Also Read | ‘Needs to be publicly executed’: BJP MP Gautam Gambhir on Delhi acid attack
Meanwhile, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has taken cognisance of the matter, and issued a notice to Delhi Police in this regard. In a statement on Twitter, the commission has sought information on the First Information Report (FIR) registered in the matter, and details of complaints submitted by the girl or her family in the past about threats made to her. The DCW has sought a response to the notice by Friday (December 16).
दिल्ली महिला आयोग की अध्यक्षा @Swatijaihind ने द्वारका एसिड अटैक केस में दिल्ली पुलिस को नोटिस जारी किया। Delhi Commission for Women - DCW (@DCWDelhi) December 14, 2022
Furthermore, DCW chief Swati Maliwal slammed the authorities for the continuing of acid sale in Delhi. In a video that several media outlets carried and Maliwal retweeted as well, she said that the DCW had issued “several notices, given multiple recommendations, but acid sale continues”.
#DelhiAcidAttack: दिल्ली में एसिड अटैक पर दिल्ली महिला आयोग की अध्यक्ष स्वाति मालीवाल का कहना है कि दिल्ली में सब्जियों की तरह बिक रहा एसिड। इस पर रोक लगाने के लिए कोर्ट जाएंगे।
NBT Dilli (@NBTDilli) December 14, 2022
In a separate tweet, the DCW chief alleged that acid is “being sold in the country as easily as vegetables”. “Despite our many reports, why doesn't the government completely ban the retail sale of acid?” wrote in the post.
In the video, Maliwal said that if the sale of acid is not stopped, the DCW will approach the court.