Man attacked with acid for ‘having an affair’

The assailants apparently used a lot of acid, possibly as much as a litre, says doctors.

MULTAN:

Two brothers attacked a man with acid in Muzaffargarh on Tuesday for allegedly having an affair with a girl from the neighbourhood.

One of the assailants was arrested. He told police that they had attacked the man “as a responsibility towards their neighbour”.

The injured man was taken to a hospital, where he was reported to be critical. Doctors treating him told The Express Tribune that he had more than 50 per cent burns. They said his eyes and face were badly affected.

Mehmood Kot police said Muhammad Abdur Rauf, a resident of Gujrat Colony in Kot Addu, was alleged to have an affair with a woman in the nearby area of Sarwanwala village. They said he often used to visit her and was noticed by Tariq and Munir, the woman’s neighbour. They said the two brothers had warned him against visiting the area.

On Tuesday night, they said, the two brothers and three unidentified men stopped Rauf and took him into a house, where they threw acid at him. They later threw him on a roadside.

Some passers-by heard Rauf shout for help and took him to a rural health centre, from where he was shifted to Nishtar Hospital in Multan. Doctors said the assailants had apparently used a lot of acid, possibly as much as a litre.

A case had been registered against the main suspects and three unidentified men.

Police raided the area and arrested Munir. They said they had recovered Rauf’s cell phone from him.

He told police that he and his brother had stopped Rauf from meeting the woman, but he didn’t listen. He said “they could not tolerate a non-resident wandering in their area trying to trap innocent women in his love”.

Investigation Officer Mehndi Khan told The Express Tribune that he hoped to arrest the rest of the assailants in 48 hours. He said the police were told that they had fled towards Dera Ghazi Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2013.