Delhi woman gets ‘acid attack’ threat for refusing to marry grocery store owner, DCW seeks action

A 19-year-old woman has accused her neighbour in east Delhi's Pandav Nagar of threatening her with "acid attack" if she did not marry him, police said on Wednesday. The matter came to light on Sunday after the victim filed a complaint, they said, adding that the accused has been nabbed.

In her complaint, the victim alleged that Yagvender Yadav (27), who runs a grocery shop with his father in the area, had threatened her that he would throw acid on her if she did not marry him, they said.
The accused and the victim are known to each other, police said.

Yadav, a resident of Shashi Garden, had been friends with the victim since 2017, but they later parted ways, they said. Yadav was arrested on Wednesday while he was trying to flee Delhi, they said.

On Sunday, Yadav asked the victim to come along with him, but when she refused, he threatened her by saying that he was carrying acid with him, police said.

"A case was registered against the accused under sections 341 (wrongful restraint) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code," Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Amrutha Guguloth said.

Subsequently, after the victim's statement was recorded by the magistrate, sections 354B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) and 354D (stalking) were added to the FIR, the DCP said.

Taking suo-moto cognizance of the matter, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal issued a notice to the DCP of the east district.

The Commission has sought a copy of the FIR, arrests made in the matter along with details of security provided to the woman. The panel has also sought an action-taken report in the matter by January 6.

"We are receiving such types of cases on a daily basis. I do not know when this brutality against women and girls will stop! We need to make our system more effective to deal with such cases. The accused should be arrested and strict action should be taken against him. The girl must be provided security as he has threatened an acid attack on her!" Maliwal said.

In December last year, two motorcycle-borne masked men flung acid on a 17-year-old girl who was attacked minutes after she left her west Delhi home for school.

As outrage had spread over the attack as women's groups and others, including Lt Governor V K Saxena, raised questions on the availability of acid in markets despite a ban. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had asked how the accused could have gathered so much courage.

The attack took place at Mohan Garden near Uttam Nagar and the girl suffered eight per cent facial burns. Later, the same evening, three men including the victim's neighbour were arrested in connection with the incident.

The main accused had procured the acid through Flipkart following which police sent a notice to the e-commerce platform in this regard.

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