Family members of a Delhi girl, who died after an acid attack in Mumbai, on Monday protested in front of Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde regarding the delay in handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Shinde was leaving North Block, which houses the Home Ministry, when the parents of Preeti Rathi, who died in a Mumbai Hospital on June 1, and some other acid attack victims confronted Shinde.
The Minister got out of his car and told them that since the attack had taken place in Mumbai, Maharashtra government had to initiate the process for a CBI inquiry.
The protesters said no action was taken to ensure that the case is handed over to the CBI. They did not agree with Shinde’s reply and raised slogans demanding that CBI should be immediately asked to probe the case.
Following Shinde’s instruction, Preeti’s parents and a few acid attack victims were called inside the ministry where they met Joint Secretary (Internal Security) Rakesh Singh.
“The officer assured us that they would inform us by October 30 as to what action will be taken on our demand,” Preeti’s father Amar Singh Rathi said.
Preeti’s parents and some social activists expressed anguish over the pace of the probe, which is being conducted by Government Railway Police, Maharashtra, in the matter.
Preeti (23) was put on ventilator support after the acid attack on May 2 as her right lung suffered severe damage and she had also developed complications in the upper respiratory system. She succumbed to her injuries on June one.
An unidentified man had thrown acid on Preeti after she got down from a train at the Bandra Terminus in Mumbai on May 2.