GUWAHATI: An acid attack on a married woman in Imphal East district of Manipur has shocked the state. Such attacks were unheard of in the Northeast so far.
Mangshatabam Menaka, a mother of two, who received burn injuries on her chin and chest, is admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal.
Menaka, 33, was going back home from her restaurant on her two-wheeler on November 29 when a youth threw acid on her. The assailant, Tomba, has been arrested and sent to jail. He is allegedly a drug addict.
Mangshatabam Santosh Meitei, the victim’s husband, said, “We had no enmity with him. He lives in my locality and our restaurant is adjacent to his house.There could be other people involved.”
The police, however, had a different version of the incident. “The accused went to her shop and tried to sell her a mobile phone. She got suspicious as drug addicts normally sell stolen items to buy drugs with the money they get. She must have probed him after which he left and later returned with acid to attack her,” a police officer said.
Doctors said it would take two to three months for Menaka to recover. Social Welfare Minister, Nemcha Kipgen visited the victim and extended financial help to her for treatment. The Manipur Commission for Women has condemned the attack and recommended a separate fund for acid attack victims, chairperson K Sobita Devi said.