Acid attack victim’s family agrees to last rites after assurance from govt.

Mangalore Today/NDTV

Mumbai, June 3: The family of a 23-year-old woman who died on Saturday after acid was thrown on her by unidentified people as she got off a train last month has agreed to perform her last rites. Earlier, they had refused to cremate her till the probe into the case is handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The girl’s attackers have still not been arrested.

Today, protests were held near the victim’s house in Narela in west Delhi, demanding immediate action by the authorities into the case.

 

On May 2, as Preeti Rathi got off the New Delhi-Mumbai Garib Rath Express at the Bandra Terminus to join a new job as a nurse at Mumai’s Army Hospital, her attackers threw acid on her. She died almost a month later after an infection spread through her body. Preeti had been communicating with her parents by writing messages on pieces of paper after the attack.

The Railway Police, who have been investigating the case so far, have not been able to track down Preeti’s attackers. The attack happened on a bustling railway platform which has at least a dozen cameras. The Bandra Terminus also has a full-fledged railway police outpost. Yet, the attackers escaped. 

The family had yesterday met Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil and demanded a CBI inquiry. Mr Patil promised a thorough probe. Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj today lashed out at the Mr Patil’s Maharashtra government for offering Rs. 2 lakh in compensation to Preeti’s family.