Acid attack: Husband, in-laws arrested

Over 40 per cent of the victim’s body has been burnt, say doctors.

VEHARI:

A man was arrested on Saturday for attacking and burning his wife with acid over an argument at their home in a Vehari village.

Vehari district police officer Nasir Ali Rizvi told The Express Tribune the suspect, Intezar Hussain, was caught 16 hours after the incident from Faisalabad. He said 19 teams had been formed to pursue the suspect in 11 districts.

Police earlier arrested six others nominated in the FIR. These were victim’s mother-in-law Yasmeen, brother-in-law Ikhtesar Hussain and father-in-law Muhammad Hussain and three neighbours Humayum, Manzoor and Rahim.

The DPO said the FIR had been registered against the suspects at Vehari City police station under Sections 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code and seven of the Anti-Terrorism Act (Section 7 of the ATA was added in accordance with a recent legislation to make acid attacks an unbailable offence).

Talking to The Express Tribune at Nishter Hospital, the victim said she was assaulted by her husband who was abetted by his family and some neigbhours following an argument on Saturday morning.

She was referred to Nishter Hospital by doctors at Vehari district headquarters (DHQ) hospital. Medical Superintendent Chaudhry Ashraf told The Tribune that over 40 per cent of the woman’s body was burnt. He said she was referred to Nishter Hospital for treatment at a burn unit. He said there was no burn unit at the DHQ hospital.

The victim and the suspect had moved out of Hussain’s parents house in Chak 9/11-WB in Union Council No1, Vehari, after their marriage six months ago, according to the husband’s family.

Muhammad Hussain, her father-in-law, said she had married his son after the death of her first husband, Muhammad Nasir, six months ago. Nasir, a subedar in the Army, had lost his life in a terrorist attack in tribal areas.

Hussain said the couple had returned to his house three months ago, after they ran out of money. He said Hussain and the victim had earlier been living off the money they had got from selling a plot he had transferred in Hussain’s name before the marriage.

Saturday’s incident was preceded by an argument between Hussain and the victim, he said.

He added none of the other members of the household were involved in it. He said Hussain had thrown acid on his wife following an argument over a settlement between the victim and Yasmeen. The two women had agreed to withdraw complaints they had filed against each other at City police station. He said the two women had  accused each other of assault.

Advocate Imran Riyasat, saying he had been present when the settlement was reached, supported the statement. He said the two women and some other members of the family had come to him and asked him to bear witness to the settlement.

City police station house officer Muhammad Bakhsh admitted having received applications from both parties. He said the police had rejected the victim and her husband’s application after initial inquiry in the matter. He said he had found Yasmeen’s complaint against her son and daughter-in-law substantial and was about to register an FIR in the matter in a couple of days.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2012.