India acid attack caught on tape
CCTV footage shows masked men on a motorcycle throwing acid in the face of woman in a busy New Delhi market.
Two men on a motorcycle have thrown acid on a woman in a busy market in India’s capital, the latest in a series of acid attacks targeting women in the country.
The incident was caught on CCTV camera on Tuesday showing two masked men hurling acid at a woman riding a scooter in New Delhi’s Rajouri Garden market.
NDTV, a privately run Indian TV channel, said half of the woman’s face was burnt in the attack.
The woman screamed for help, but none of the passers-by in the busy market place came to her rescue, NDTV reported.
Indians angered by the attack vented their anger on social media and protests were staged in new Delhi.
Attacks on women have been on the rise with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reporting 309,546 crimes against women last year against 244,270 in 2012.
There were 225 reported cases of acid attacks alone between 2010 and 2012, according to the bureau. Campaigners report much higher numbers.
RELATED – Acid attacks: A scar on India
Those who survive acid attacks often face lifelong scars and social stigma, with activists saying little has changed despite steps taken last year to help wipe out the scourge.
In July last year, India’s Supreme Court gave states three months to enforce restrictions on the sale of acid, but campaigners say it remains easy to purchase and inexpensive.
The court also said victims should get 300,000 rupees ($4,730) in compensation, a third of it within 15 days of the assault.
Acid attacks were made a criminal offence punishable with at least a decade behind bars following the fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi in December 2012, which sparked nationwide protests.
Acid attacks have long plagued India, often targeting women in public places as a form of revenge linked to dowry or land disputes or a man’s advances spurned.