CHENNAI: A 48-year-old man was arrested for throwing acid on a 40-year-old woman who warded off his advances, on Tuesday night. She is currently recovering in a private hospital. Riziya, a resident of Gandhi Street in Kanathur near her, works at a textile showroom. Separated from her husband Shah Jahan, she has been living with her son for three years.
“Ramesh worked as a security guard for a farmhouse in Kanathur,” said an investigating officer. “He had been harassing the woman for a while and on Tuesday night, he went to her house and tried to force her into a physical relationship. When she refused, he poured acid on her and fled. Hearing her screams, the neighbours rushed to the scene and some youths chased him.”
The neighbours immediately took the woman to a private hospital nearby where doctors said she had suffered burns on her hands and face.
Two years ago, the woman lodged a complaint with the Kanathur police that Ramesh, a resident of Jayalalithaa Nagar in Kanathur, was harassing her, but the police had just warned him and let him off.
“Ramesh has been arrested under the IPC section 326 (b) which relates to punishment for attempted acid throwing and under the Tamil Nadu Women Harassment Prevention Act,” said the investigating officer. “He has been remanded in judicial custody,” he added.