Man throws acid on ex-wife for spurning proposal to remarry

A man threw acid on his ex-wife in Bareilly district on Tuesday evening when she turned down his proposal of remarrying after he had given her instant Talaq around a month ago.

Police said the woman, aged around 35 years, suffered 25% burn injuries and was undergoing treatment at Bareilly district hospital. The police arrested the man identified as Ishaq after registering an FIR at the Qila police station.

A Bareilly police official said the accused has been booked under Indian Penal Code section 326-A for acid attack and under section 4 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act 2019, which criminalises instant ‘ triple talaq’ among Muslims on the complaint of the victim’s father.

Seven other people, including the mother of the accused, his brother and a friend, have also been taken into custody by the police to probe their involvement in the case.

Police said the couple had been married 11 years and had two daughters. They said the accused had given the victim ‘instant talaq’ in an inebriated state when she asked for money for the treatment of her younger daughter around a month ago. And now, the accused was mounting pressure on her to remarry him.

The woman was living with her parents after the divorce, and on Tuesday, the man had come to her parents’ house to convince her to remarry him. He threw acid in a fit of rage when she turned down the proposal and fled from the scene.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Satyarth Aniruddh Pankaj told media persons that the strictest action will be taken against the accused. He said the police were also trying to find out from where he had arranged acid, despite a ban on its sale. SSP added that police will take action against those selling acid illegally.