Acid attack: Parents want culprit to be given stringent punishmen

By NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The parents and friends of the acid attack survivor have urged the Karnataka government to take stringent action against the accused who was arrested by the City police on Friday.

Rajanna, the father of the woman, is a vegetable seller while his wife is a home-maker. “It was a happy family until the tragedy befell them,” said one of their neighbours in Hegganahalli cross.

“The parents have worked hard to get their children educated. The girl is a Mcom graduate while her elder sister is an engineer. Imagine their pain,” they added.

Nagesh, 27, the accused who had absconded after throwing acid on the woman, was allegedly shot at by a police team that was escorting him back to the city from neighbouring Tamil Nadu on Saturday. Police said that the accused had assaulted a head constable, Mahadevaiah, in a bid to escape.

“Such people must be shot to death by the police, setting an example for the society,” said Rajanna. “Or should be left on the road to be lynched by the public,” he added.

The woman is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital here and is said to be out of danger. The state government has decided to take care of her medical expenses. The doctors have said that she will be discharged soon.

Nagesh and the woman resided in the same building 7 years ago, during which he had tried to make friends with her, but she had objected to it and her family had ensured that he moved out of the place. According to sources, Nagesh had a friend residing in the building, with whom he had business dealings as well, and through him he used to get all the information about her.

Realizing that the woman and her family wouldn’t agree, he decided to attack her with acid and purchased it on April 20 from a lab by misusing the letterhead and email of a housekeeping company, where he had worked earlier, police said.

Following the attack, Nagesh contacted his brother and a friend saying that he would surrender in court but they reportedly told him to go to the police. However, after failing to get a lawyer, he decided to flee the city.

Nagesh abandoned his two-wheeler near the garment factory and took an auto-rickshaw to Hoskote. He decided to pray seeking forgiveness for his sin. Thus he boarded a Malur-bound bus with the intention of going to Tirupati but then he changed his mind and proceeded to Thiruvannamalai.

“I believe the accused was afraid of being caught and punished by the law,” Rajanna said.

However, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant said that after the incident Nagesh was indeed afraid and confused. “The accused had allegedly plotted to commit suicide by jumping into a lake in Hosakote,” he said. But the top cop also said that during the investigation, it was also found that in 2020, the accused had purchased acid in a similar method, but did not use it then.

Earlier in a different case, an order had been passed by the Supreme Court, making it clear that the victim or her family — who has suffered the crime — should have an equal say in the punishment of the perpetrator.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that the state government would issue an order to distribute sites and houses for the acid attack victims.

“Acid attack victims undergo acute mental agony and rejection by society. It is the responsibility of the government to rush to their aid. In this regard, their monthly pension has been raised from Rs 3000 to Rs 10,000.

In addition to this, Bommai also said that a financial assistance of up to Rs 5 lakh each for self employment will also be ordered soon.