Miscreants spray acid on four sisters in UP, 2 serious

The sisters suffered serious burns and two of them have been referred to a hospital in Delhi after their condition became serious, police sources here said.

The incident occurred when the sisters, residents of Sheikhjagdan locality in Shamli, were returning home after undertaking invigilation duty at a nearby school, where the UP Board examinations were being held, the sources said.

Another girl, who was walking with the sisters, also suffered burns on her face and hands after drops of acid fell on her. She too, was shifted to Delhi for specialised treatment. According to the eyewitnesses, two miscreants on a motorcycle, whose heads were covered with helmets, appeared from nowhere, when the victims had reached the Kairana bypass and sprinkled acid from the “pichkari” catching them unawares.

The attackers escaped after perpetrating the crime. The victims' family said they did not have enmity with anyone.

District police chief Atul Saxenasaid a case of attempt to murder would be registered against the culprits. “A massive manhunt has been launched to nab the attackers,” he said.

Crimes against women have shot up in the state despite every effort by the police. Many girls committed suicide after molestation and attempted rape in the past few months. Barely a few months back, a girl had set herself ablaze after being gang-raped in UP's Deoria district. She died later at a hospital in Gorakhpur.

Similarly, a girl in Moradabad had committed suicide after alleged molestation. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had asserted that the government had taken the suicide bids by molestation and rape victims seriously and would take steps to ensure speedy action in such cases.