Tirunelveli: A young housewife sustained 60 per cent burn injuries in an acid attack on her by an auto driver, who allegedly attempted to molest her.
The victim, wife of Murugesan of Vannarapettai in Tirunelveli city, was travelling to her native village, Singikulam near Kalakkad in an auto, driven by Chinnarasu (28) of Seevalaperi near Tirunelveli on Monday evening.
On her way the auto driver is said to have stopped the vehicle at a secluded place on Vaduvoorpatti-Singikulam road and attempted to rape her as she refused to yield to his pressure.
The enraged auto driver, according to Kalakkad police, threw acid that he had in his auto on the victim and escaped. Passers-by noticing the victim with burns informed the police and rushed her to Tirunelveli government medical college hospital, where she is undergoing treatment.
According to hospital sources, the victim sustained 60 per cent burn injuries on her face, hand and hip. Preliminary enquiry by the Kalakkad police revealed that the victim and her husband were living in a rented accommodation owned by a relative of Chinnarasu. Chinnarasu too is said to have been harassing Ramalakshmi for the past few months.
