‘Accused in Dwarka acid attack case bought the chemical on Flipkart,’ says Delhi Police

Main accused Sachin and the girl lived in the same area and were friends, the police say. The attack has brought focus back on continued sale of acid in local markets despite SC curbs.

The suspects arrested in Delhi | Photo: By special arrangement

New Delhi: The three men accused of throwing acid on a teenage girl Wednesday morning in New Delhi had bought the chemical from e-commerce website Flipkart, the Delhi Police said in a statement to the media.

All accused — Sachin Arora (20) Harshit Agrawal (19) and Virendra Singh (22) — were arrested Wednesday itself, Delhi Special Commissioner of Police Sagar Preet Hooda told media persons the same day.

The girl was on her way to school when two motorcycle-borne men threw acid on her at Dwarka road, Delhi. She is currently undergoing treatment at the Safdarjung Hospital and has suffered 8 per cent burns, said doctors.

“Sachin and the girl lived in the same neighbourhood and were friends,” Hooda said in his statement. “Their friendship had gone sour over the past few months. About two to three months ago, the victim had broken off their friendship and was refusing to speak to him. Because of this, Sachin threw acid on her”.

Dwarka deputy commissioner of police (DCP) informed media persons that a notice had been sent to Flipkart to seek information about the seller of the acid.

Police said the motorcycle and phone of the accused Sachin have been recovered. Moreover, sources in the police have said that the broken acid bottle has also been recovered and the exact chemical composition will be determined after tests. “It’ll be clear after forensic examination results. It was probably Nitric Acid,” said a source.

Nitric acid is used in fertilisers, explosives, in schools as laboratory reagents and for oxidising metals. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nitric acid exposure can irritate the eyes, skin and mucous membranes. It can also lead to dental erosion, delayed pulmonary edema, pneumonitis and bronchitis.

“Harshit was with Sachin on the bike at the time of the incident. Third accused Virendra tried to create an alibi for Sachin by taking his mobile phone, scooty and clothes to another location to mislead the police. Further investigations are currently underway,” said Hooda.

The girl’s father had previously said his daughter did not know the three accused. “I wish I had dropped her to school,” he said, speaking to the media. “I would never have let her go alone if I knew something like this might happen.”

Following the incident, Flipkart said the “concerned seller has been backlisted” and the company was “extending all support to the concerned authorities” in the investigation.

“We strongly condemn this unfortunate incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family. The Flipkart marketplace platform closely monitors and delists products that violate expected standards. Strict action is taken against sellers who are found to be engaged in selling products that are illegal, unsafe, and prohibited,” Flipkart said in a statement.

Unchecked sale of acid

According to sources, Sachin, who used to do wallpaper work, had allegedly been planning the attack for a few days. Harshit Aggarwal alias Honey, used to do packing work in a private company, and Virender Singh alias Sonu is a generator mechanic, the Delhi Police said.

The attack has brought the spotlight back on the continued sale of acid in local markets despite a Supreme Court order to curb its sale nearly nine years ago. In 2013, the SC had passed an order prohibiting over-the-counter sale of acid across the country. It stated that only select stores with permits be allowed to sell acid, that too after checking buyers’ identity cards.

The SC guidelines say shops selling acid are mandatorily required to maintain a record of sale and purchase. The SC also made it compulsory for the shopkeepers to record the reasons for purchase.

However, sale of acid continues online and, in this case, was obtained from e-commerce website Flipkart.

The DCP reported that a case has been filed at the Mohan Garden police station under sections 326A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

National Commission for Women chairperson, Rekha Sharma, also took cognisance of the matter and wrote to the Delhi Commissioner of Police asking for thorough investigation.

(Edited by Zinnia  Ray Chaudhuri)

(The report has been updated with Flipkart’s statement)