Delhi: Girl attempts suicide by drinking acid after 'sexual assault', lover arrested

New Delhi: A girl attempted suicide by drinking acid in southwest Delhi's Vasant Kunj area after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man she was in a relationship with, police said on Wednesday. The man has been arrested.

The accused, Md Rehan, allegedly sexually assaulted the girl on the pretext of marriage and blackmailed her with objectionable photographs, a senior police official said.

He said the incident came to light on June 18, when an MLC (medico-legal case) report was received from Spinal Injuries Hospital stating that a girl had been admitted there after she consumed acid.

A police team reached the hospital, but the girl was declared unfit for recording a statement at the time. The local crime team was deployed and the scene of the incident was examined, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Amit Goel said.

"An acid bottle was recovered from her residence. Preliminary inquiry revealed that the girl was in a relationship with a man named Rihan and it led to emotional distress," the DCP said.

The girl was alone at home when she consumed acid. A neighbour noticed her in pain around 4:45 pm and rushed her to the hospital. On June 20, she was referred to Safdarjung Hospital for further treatment due to the severity of her condition, he said.

"Subsequently, the victim's mother lodged a complaint at Vasant Kunj (South) police station, accusing Rihan of sexually assaulting her daughter on the pretext of marriage and blackmailing her with objectionable photographs," Goel said.

He said the complainant also handed over her daughter's mobile phone, which contained voice recordings allegedly supporting the allegations.

According to police, the sub-divisional magistrate of Vasant Vihar was informed, and a tehsildar was deputed to record the victim's statement at the hospital. However, the girl remained unfit to record a statement.

Based on the complaint, a preliminary report was submitted recommending a forensic analysis of the girl's mobile phone, police said.

The forensic examination of the mobile phone confirmed the presence of voice recordings consistent with the complaint. Following this, a case was registered under Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at Vasant Kunj (South) police station on June 25, police said.

Rehan, a resident of Shankar Camp in Rangpuri Pahari, was arrested. He has studied up to class 12 and previously worked as a loader at the airport. He is currently unemployed and his father works as a labourer, the DCP said.

Further investigation is underway, he said.