Day after acid attack, FIR against 46-yr-old for theft

Panaji: Mapusa police on Tuesday filed a theft FIR against the 46-year-old man who allegedly threw acid on a 17-year-old boy at Dhargalim on Monday. The move came after the man told police he stole a 5-litre can of acid from an optical manufacturing unit in Karaswada.

The Pernem JMFC remanded the man in two days of police custody for further investigation. It also directed police to produce the man before the children’s court as his offence was against a minor.

North Goa SP Rahul Gupta said that the man, during interrogation, said that he committed the crime because his daughter died after her relationship with the boy ended. Police said that the man’s act was triggered by grief and anger over the girl’s death, for which he blamed the boy.

“The accused also said he hid the can in a scooter and covered it with a raincoat. The said acid/chemical was stolen from a glasses manufacturing company in the industrial estate at Karaswada, where he worked for the past eight days as a gardener,” said Gupta.

The SP said that the victim was in a relationship with the accused’s minor daughter. Both were studying at a higher secondary school in Mapusa.

“A medical examination of the accused was conducted at the GMC on Tuesday to ascertain the traces of acid on his body. The scooter of the accused has been attached, including the helmet and raincoats,” said Gupta, who added that an Forensic Science Laboratory team examined the two-wheeler for traces of acid/chemical.

The SP said that the accused’s daughter died one month ago, and that Sindhudurg police are investigating the unnatural death case.