Man attacks estranged wife with acid

Empties two bottles, leaving her with critical burn injuries over refusal to go with him

KARACHI:

An estranged husband threw acid on a young woman at a house in Qayyumabad area after she refused to leave with him, it emerged on Thursday.

At a house located in the remits of Defence Police Station, Sajid Riaz, allegedly a drug addict, emptied two bottles of acid on his wife and then fled the site late on Wednesday night, said the police.

The woman, identified as Saima, 23, Mulazim Hussain was shifted to the burns ward at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital with critical burns on her face and other parts of the body. Her sister-in-law and a son were also reportedly injured in the attack.

Speaking to the media, Saima's brother, Amir, said Sajid had come to their house to take her back with him but she had not agreed. Saima had moved back home due to family disputes and this was not the first time that Sajid had come for her. This time, however, he brought acid with him and after a heated argument he attacked her with it, said Amir.

Sajid had earlier hit Saima on the head and broken her leg during an argument, after which she left her house with him and returned to her parent's house, said Amir. A complaint was lodged at the time at the Qayyumabad Police Chowki of the Defence Police Station. However, three months later, the family and neighbours had attempted to mediate between the couple.

The police said the couple hailed from southern Punjab and was married in a watta satta situation. Saqib's sister is married to Saima's elder brother.

Saima's a mother of three and a domestic worker while Sajid is a drug addict, who would ask her for money and fight with her when she would refuse, the family said. They further added that the suspect used to make sewing machines and water cooler taps before his addiction rendered him incapable.

Amir said two other family members were injured as they tried to save Saima.

The police recorded the woman's father's and brother's statements and lodged an attempted murder case against Sajid. The FIR was lodged on the complaint of Saima's other brother, Shahid, at the Defence Police Station.

No arrests were made till the filing of this report, however.

Last month, the police arrested a man who threw acid on his former wife in Baldia Town as she left for work. Syed Zeeshan, who reportedly has a history of being violent, had been on the run after throwing acid and severely burning Rimsha, 21, his former wife, allegedly over Tick Tock videos. The police had detained his father, who had earlier submitted a surety in writing guaranteeing that Zeeshan would not force his former wife to live with him, as they searched for him.

Around the same time, the New Karachi Police Station had lodged a case against a woman, Shabana, accused of throwing acid on her former husband, Usman, after repeatedly asking him to remarry her.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2021.