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Acid attack victim fears for daughters’ lives

Last Updated 31 January 2020, 18:30 IST

Swapna, 38, lies on the hospital bed in the women’s ward of District Wenlock Hosital, unrecognisable even to her three young daughters.

A widow, Sapna was admitted to the hospital a week ago after her brother-in-law Jayananda Kotari threw acid on her face and on her two-year-old child for turning down his sexual advances.

Swapna told DH that Jayananda’s sexual harassment intensified after her husband Ravi Kumar died under mysterious circumstances, a year ago. Her sister-in-law turned a blind year when she complained about Jayananda’s sexual advances.

“He came to my house and demanded sex after dropping his trousers. He even ordered me to sell my three children, who were coming in his way of having illicit relationship with me,” she mumbles in Tulu language.

Unable to bear the sexual harassment, she even had lodged a complaint against Jayananda in Puttur Women’s Police Station.

‘Jayananda’s clout’

As Jayananda wielded a lot of clout in Kodimbala in Kadaba in Puttur taluk, police ignored her complaint, Swapna’s brother-in-law Vishwanath said.

On the evening of January 25, Jayananda attempted to enter her house by breaking the door. Swapna, along with her two-year-old daughter, begun recording the entire incident.

When a unsuspecting Swapna moved close to the window, Jayananda reportedly threw the acid from in a bottle on her face. Swapna suffered extensive burn injuries on her hands, arms, chest and face. Her daughter also suffered burn injuries on her face, arms and legs.

Police apathy

When she contacted Kadaba police station and informed them about the acid attack, the police did not respond but directed Swapna to come to the police station. She, along with her three daughters, who had returned from school, took a loan of Rs 100 from a neighbour and walked nearly 1.5 km in order to catch the nearest autorickshaw.

‘’Kadaba police sent Swapna in an ambulance to Puttur hospital. It pains me that none of the policemen had accompanied her to Puttur hospital,’’ Vishwanath added.

Swapna’s two-year-old daughter was discharged from the hospital and is staying with her sister Shubha in Kasargod. Swapna, who is able to sip liquid food from Thursday, shares her fears on returning to her house.

“I fear for the safety of my daughters,” she said and recollected how their three dogs were poisoned, a few days before the acid attack.

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(Published 31 January 2020, 18:18 IST)

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