BHAGALPUR / NEW DELHI – Kajal, who was attacked with acid by her tormentors for resisting rape, lost her battle for life at a Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital this morning.
After battling for five weeks, the 17-year-old breathed her last at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi where she was admitted with the help of air ambulance last evening.
Kajal, who suffered serious burn injuries in the assault was first admitted to Bhagalpur Medical College and Hospital but later she was shifted to Simran Hospital in Benaras when her condition remained critical.
Her condition had shown improvement nearly 10 days back. Her health condition deteriorated again, and she was transferred to Apollo Hospital in same city before she was referred to Safdarjung Hospital.
Kajal’s father Gautam Sah, her mother and other family members were on her bedside when her end came.
On April 19 evening, when the male members of the family were at their shop and the victim was with her mother, three men barged into the house, held the mother hostage at gun point and poured acid on the student.
Preliminary probe by the police had revealed that the three men were addicts, who often assembled at a vacant place behind the victim’s house in Bhagalpur’s Alamganj locality to inhale their dose of drugs.
The three used to pass lewd comments against the local girls including the victim. Her parents had threatened to inform police if they did not mend their ways.
Rajbans Singh, DSP (city) said the two accused arrested so far were Prince Kumar and Raja Yadav, residents of the same locality.
Before her death, the victim had identified the duo. Police also have in their possession a countrymade pistol the trio had left behind in the victim’s house while trying to flee after carrying out the attack.
Satyanarian Prasad Sah, public prosecutor, Bhagalpur court, said, “Now that the acid victim has died, as per legal provisions, Section 302 of IPC (murder) would be added in addition to section 326 A registered against the accused. There would be sessions trial in the case.”
Acid attack was recently introduced as a separate offence under the Indian Penal Code, carrying a minimum punishment of 10 years of imprisonment.
