Acid attack: Jilted man burns ex-fiance

25-year-old also injures his father and nephew in attack.

LAHORE:

A man threw acid at his 17-year-old cousin and ex-fiance after she refused to marry him on Monday, also injuring his father and his four-month-old nephew in the process.

Awais Ahmed, 25, a bike mechanic and resident of Sant Nagar, has been arrested and has confessed to the crime, said Civil Lines Station House Officer Inspector Abid Rasheed.

He said that a case had been registered against Awais under Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act and Section 324 (attempted murder) of the PPC on the complaint of Nasreen Akhtar, the mother of Neelam Riaz.

Inspector Rasheed said that Ahmed and Riaz had been engaged for two years, but the girl broke it off recently.

He said that Ahmed had found a voice recording of his fiancé talking to a boy over the phone and had demanded that she stop speaking to him, after which she had decided to end the engagement.

The SHO said that on Monday, Ahmed heard that Riaz was visiting his older brother Naqi at his house near Chandi Ahata. He rushed to his brother’s house with a bottle of acid. He said Ahmed confronted his cousin, telling her to marry him or face the consequences.

She refused, despite his threat, after which Ahmed tossed the acid at her.

The SHO said that Neelam Riaz had suffered serious burn injuries on the right side of her face, shoulder, chest and leg. She was rushed to Ganga Ram Hospital and later transferred to Mayo.

Awais Ahmed’s father Hameed Ahmed and his brother’s baby, Subhan, were also hurt. Hameed Ahmed was released after treatment while Subhan is still being treated at Jinnah Hospital.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2012.