Man rapes woman nearly 17 yrs after throwing acid on her

NEW DELHI: A 43-year-old man, who was jailed for seven years for attacking a woman with acid in Kanpur 17 years ago, was arrested from Bengaluru by Delhi’s outer district police for allegedly raping the woman at her Delhi home in December 2021, police said on Monday.

Deputy commissioner of police (outer) Sameer Sharma said that the woman filed a complaint on March 21 this year, alleging that her brotherin-law raped her at her home on December 13 last year after threatening to attack her husband and children with acid. He also videographed the crime and threatened to release it on social media.

During the investigation, DCP Sharma said, police learnt that the man had thrown acid on the woman in Kanpur in 2005. He was convicted for seven years in the case. After completing his sentence, he was released from jail and managed to track the woman to Delhi by asking his acquaintances in Kanpur.

Police said that after raping the woman, the man went on the run. The woman, scared of the man’s threats, only managed to file a complaint three months after the fact, police said, adding they registered a case of rape and criminal intimidation under Indian Penal Code’s sections 376 and 506 on March 21. A special staff team was tasked to locate and nab him.

The team raided his hideouts in Delhi and also went to Kanpur, but could not find him as he had switched off his cellphone. Investigators electronically surveilled him and finally located him in Bengaluru.

“A three-member team went to Bengaluru and arrested him last week, after camping there for three days. He has been brought back to Delhi,” added the DCP.

A senior police officer said they will approach the Kanpur Police for details about the acid attack, and when exactly the man was convicted in the case and released from jail.

“We are also trying to ascertain if he was involved in other crimes before or after the acid

attack,” said the officer.

A team went to Bengaluru and arrested him last week. He has been brought back to Delhi. SAMEER SHARMA, Deputy commissioner of police (outer)