BHAWANIPATNA: The gruesome Poonam Singhal acid attack incident revisited Kalahandi once again as a 22-year-old student was attacked by a jilted lover near Kalampur on Monday.The victim Debanti Bibhar, a native of Khandi Dangriguda, was on her way to computer class at Kalampur when she was poured acid by Parsuram Majhi of the same village.
She was admitted to the Kalampur Community Health Centre before being shifted to Bhawanipatna Headquarters Hospital later. Though her condition is stated to be stable, Debanti suffered burn injuries on her face and other parts of the body.Parsuram, however, managed to flee after the attack. Victim’s father Juktaram Bibhar alleged that the 32-year-old assailant had been trying to woo his daughter for the last two years but in vain. Enraged by the refusal, he is believed to have resorted to the heinous act.
Parsuram, along with his two brothers, runs a tent house. SDPO of Dharamgarh Surendranath Sathpathy said three police teams have been formed to apprehend the accused.As in the Poonam Singhal case, Debanti was attacked while she was heading to a Class. She has to cross Hati river to reach the computer institute at Kalampur and Monday was supposed to be just another day. However, she was surprised when Parsuram intercepted her near Bankapal village and threw acid on her. “Condition of the girl is stable. The accused is absconding but we are trying to ascertain if there were more people involved in the crime,” Satpathy said.
Such acid attacks have not abated in the State because of poor crackdown by police. Last November, Pramodini Roul, an acid attack survivor of Jagatsinghpur, met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking his intervention in arrest of perpetrators. Days later, the police nabbed two accused eight years after the incident.
The CM placed two police officials under suspension for negligence in investigation and directed the DGP to review such cases and expedite probe.The Crime Branch of Odisha Police had issued a circular three years back designating acid attacks as Red Flag cases which are treated as most sensitive. In 2014, the Home Department had brought out Odisha Poisons (Possession and Sales) Rule to check sale of such substances but it has not been effective due to poor enforcement by police.The State had reported its first such case in October 2000 when Poonam, a student of Women’s College in Bhawanipatna, was attacked by a jilted lover.
Second shame
The victim was on her way to computer class when the shunned lover poured acid on her
She suffered burn injuries on face and other parts of the body
The 32-year-old assailant, who was trying to woo the girl for two years, is absconding
The State reported its first such case in October, 2000
Crime Branch marked such incidents Red Flag three years back