In a dramatic twist that has sent shockwaves through the capital, Delhi Police have revealed that the acid attack incident involving a Delhi University student may have been fabricated. Authorities allege that the student’s father orchestrated the entire event, using a common toilet cleaner to inflict injuries on his daughter. This elaborate deception, police believe, was motivated by a desire for revenge stemming from a previous rape complaint filed by his daughter against a man whose wife is now accusing the father of rape and blackmail.
What the Accused Student Claimed:
The incident initially came to light when a 20-year-old BCom student from Delhi University’s Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board reported being attacked by three men. She identified the assailants as Jitender and his relatives, Ishan and Arman, claiming they had been stalking her. The student was subsequently admitted to RML Hospital with burns on her hands.
Initial reports from the police, including statements from DCP (Northwest) Bhisham Singh, suggested the involvement of a stalker. However, discrepancies in the student’s account and the alibi provided by one of the accused, Jitender, soon raised suspicions.
Key Revelations from the Police Investigation:
- Father’s Confession: The student’s father reportedly confessed to investigators that he and his daughter staged the acid attack to falsely implicate the husband and relatives of the woman who had accused him of rape. The motive appears to be settling scores amidst ongoing legal and personal disputes.
- Toilet Cleaner Used: Police have gathered CCTV footage and call detail records (CDRs) that contradict the student’s statement. Investigators now believe the student herself used a toilet cleaner, sourced from her home, to self-inflict injuries and stage the attack.
- Revenge Plot Linked to Rape Allegation: Just two days prior to the alleged acid attack, the wife of one of the accused men had filed a complaint against the student’s father, accusing him of rape and blackmail. She alleged that he had raped her between 2021 and 2024 while she worked at his factory. The accused man, upon being summoned for questioning, sent his lawyer and an Islamic preacher instead of appearing himself, leading to his eventual arrest.
- Alibis Verified: The two other men accused in the acid attack, Ishan and Arman, have been confirmed to have been in Agra with their mother at the time of the incident. Furthermore, the woman who had accused the father of rape had herself been an acid attack victim in 2018 and is reportedly involved in a property dispute with the rape accused.
- CCTV Evidence: CCTV footage reviewed by the police shows the student leaving her residence with her brother on a two-wheeler. He dropped her in Ashok Vihar, from where she was seen boarding an e-rickshaw. Crucially, none of the alleged attackers were present in the footage. Police are also investigating why the brother did not drop her directly at her college and his unavailability for questioning. Forensics found no traces of acid at the scene, and the nature of the burns on the student’s hands remains under medical evaluation.
(With inputs from Jignasa Sinha in New Delhi)