UP acid attack case: Victim's family in land dispute with rapists

Lucknow: A 35-year-old gangrape survivor was attacked with acid for the fourth time in Lucknow on Saturday night.

The incident took place less than three months after the suspected rapists has allegedly forced her to drink acid on train while she was travelling from her home town Rae Bareli to Lucknow because she refused to withdraw her complaints against them.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had even visited her in hospital and promised her security. The accused, also her rapists, were arrested for the crime but later released on bail.

According to reports, the victim was gangraped in 2008 and the first acid attack on her took place in 2011. She was then stabbed in 2012 and then faced an acid attack in 2013 and in March this year.

The woman works at the Sheroes café that is run by acid attack survivors and belongs to the Rae Bareli district where her husband lives with their two daughters. Her family has a long-standing land dispute with the family of the accused.

The victim, during the Saturday acid attack, has suffered burn injuries on the right side of her face and shoulder. She has been admitted to the Trauma Centre of the King George's Medical University. The woman has faced three acid attacks in the past for pursuing court cases against two men who had allegedly gangraped her in 2008.

The Rae Bareli police has detained Bhondu Singh and Guddu Singh, the two men accused of gangraping her and also for the subsequent acid attacks on the victim. The two were arrested late on Saturday night. ADG Abhay Misra said that the police had been instructed to take prompt action in the case.

UP minister for women welfare Dr Rita Bahuguna Joshi termed the incident as unfortunate and assured a probe and action against the accused.