Acid attack on four Indian sisters - Police
INDIA: Four sisters in north India have suffered burn injuries after
two men threw acid on them as they were returning from school, police
said on Wednesday, with one victim admitted to hospital.
The incident took place in the Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh,
about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the capital, on Tuesday evening
when the sisters, three of whom are teachers, were returning home from a
government school.
"The victims were walking together when two men on a motorbike made
lewd remarks and the man who was riding pillion splashed acid on all of
them," Abdul Hammed, senior police officer who is investigating the case
told AFP. Hameed said no arrests had been made and the motive behind the
crime was unclear.
"The youngest sister suffered maximum burn injuries and she had to be
rushed to a hospital in Delhi." Attacks on women have topped the
national agenda since December 2012 when a medical student was assaulted
and raped by six men on a moving bus in Delhi. She died two weeks later
of her injuries. Public anger prompted parliament to toughen sex offence
laws including doubling the minimum prison sentence for gang-rape to 20
years, but lawmakers voted against making acid attacks punishable with
life imprisonment.
Acid attackers can be jailed for 8-12 years depending on the injuries
inflicted, but the offence is bailable.
Activists have asked that India should regulate the sale of an acid
called "Tezaab" which is designed to clean rusted tools but is commonly
used in attacks.
AFP
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