Two acid attack victims in Bihar, both teenage sisters from a dalit community, had to face an utter lack of concern from the police and doctors in the harrowing aftermath of the attack on them by four local youths four months ago.
The two girls and their father, residents of a village in Maner near Patna, on Wednesday accused the police of trying to help the perpetrators and demanded justice and urged for financial help for their treatment.
They said the police did not name any of the four accused in the FIR despite the girls clearly telling the names in their statements immediately after the attack on October 21 last. Neither did the police record the girls’ statements under Section 164 of the CrPC, they said.
The 18-year-old college student in Maner and her younger sister, 15, were asleep on the terrace of their house when four young men of their village allegedly broke into their house in the midnight and threw acid on them. “I had been protesting frequent eve-teasing and harassment by Anil Rai, Ghanshyam Rai, Badal Rai and Raj Rai for some time. So they threw acid on me and my sister to punish us,” said the victim, whose face has been badly disfigured in the attack.
“Doctors at Patna Medical College and Hospital first refused to treat us. After we finally got admitted there with lots of struggle, they discharged us soon after preliminary cure. We are very poor and have no money to continue treatment,” said the younger sister who suffered deep burn injuries on her arms.
Varsha Jawalgekar, president of the NGO Parivartan Jan Andolan, who has been helping the girls’ cause, demanded speedy trial of the case and suitable compensation to the landless family.