To provide a telling example of domestic violence in Pune, we have a man who poured acid into his wife’s private parts and was convinced that she had another man. This brutal assault has unleashed great fury and revived fears for violence against women in India.
The couple’s home in Pune was allegedly the location of the assault after the husband and wife fought with each other, police say. The suspect had allegedly suspected his wife of infidelity for months, and their debates often turned combative, investigators said.
The argument came to an end on the day the assault was carried out, when the husband charged the woman with acid, the officer wrote. The attacker had burned the body’s sensitive areas, and she was taken quickly to a nearby hospital for emergency care. Her current condition is being assessed by doctors, officials said, and she remains in medical treatment.
Neighbours said they heard the woman scream for help and contacted police. After the disturbance, authorities responded and arrested the accused. A case has been registered in relation to the relevant sections on acid attack, domestic violence and attempt to murder.
What investigators did confess to at the beginning of his first interviews was attacking his wife, believing she was dating a separate man, they said. But investigators said they have been reviewing everything in the case and supporting all the statements made by the accused.
The attack was dubbed an inhuman and horrific act by the police. Acid attacks are among the most severe types of violence and inflict physical and mental suffering on victims, police officials said. The damage from acid burns tends to be permanent; it can also cause damage to skin, nerves and internal tissue, so it usually involves multiple surgeries and extensive rehab, doctors said.
For many survivors, recovery is accompanied by extreme mental, social and financial hardship. Women’s rights activists are campaigning for stronger punishment for the perpetrators and stiffer sentences for the victims of gender-based violence.
Various organisations have also made demands for authorities to take responsibility, such as ensuring that doctors and medical professionals are on hand, that they’re able to help victims in therapy, and that their children and families can be helped if they need to do so, and whether they can access legal help.
Acid violence is more of a problem, despite tougher regulations on selling acid, with criminal penalties against the people responsible. Social attitudes, domestic violence and ignorance are also involved here, activists say, which play a part in the crime, too.
The accused is now in custody and is going to stand trial, police said. It’s not finished, and in part, they are connecting forensic evidence with witnesses’ accounts of what’s happening in future investigations. Once more, the disturbing case underscores the urgent need for stronger policies, not just to stop crimes against women but also violence against women.
