Cycling home from school, 13-year-old girl attacked with acid on face in Ahilyanagar; hospitalised

NASHIK: A 13-year-old girl from Vadgaon Pan village in Sangamner taluka suffered severe facial burns after an unknown person threw acid at her on Tuesday.

The Std VI student was heading home after school around noon when she was attacked, police said. "The girl was bicycling home, which is 3km to 4km from her school. While she was on a ‘kuccha' road that goes through the farms, an unidentified person threw the corrosive substance at her face and fled the scene," Sangamner deputy superintendent of police Kunal Sonawane said.

When the girl began shouting in pain, her parents and local residents rushed to her aid and took her to a hospital in Loni, Ahilyanagar, where she is undergoing treatment.

Following a complaint by the girl's mother, the Sangamner taluka police have registered an FIR under Sections 124 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid) and 126 (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Officials said police have formed multiple teams under SP Somnath Gharge to review CCTV camera footage from the village and surrounding areas to identify the culprit.

Women and child development minister Aditi Tatkare described it as a "horrendous incident", and noted that the girl suffered 7% burn injuries. "Treatment is underway. I have spoken to the SP of Ahilyanagar, and the police are making every effort to trace the culprit by gathering information from people near her school," the NCP neta said.

Sangamner MLA Amol Khatal told TOI he had raised the matter in the assembly on Tuesday, noting that the girl is from a poor family.

"Minister Aditi Tatkare said financial aid would be provided to her family through the Nirbhaya Scheme and all her treatment costs would be borne by govt. We, at our level, will also be contributing funds towards the girl's family," Khatal said.

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar called it a "very unfortunate and heart-wrenching" attack and criticised the state govt. "This attack on a 13-year-old girl suggests criminals no longer fear the police. They are taking the law into their hands and wreaking havoc on society. Neither women nor young girls are safe in this state, and govt has failed to maintain law and order," he told reporters.