Three Dalit sisters, ages 8, 12 and 17, were attacked with flammable liquid, allegedly acidic used to clean toilets, while sleeping inside their home in the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh in the early hours of Tuesday, police officials said. There have been no arrests in the incident so far.
Officers said the preliminary investigation suggested that the flammable liquid was thrown from the home’s open window; the eldest sister suffered serious injuries to her face and chest, while two other sisters have minor injuries to their hands. They said the three have been admitted to the Gonda district hospital where they are being treated and that it is under investigation.
Officials confirmed that the three sisters are from the Dhobi community and belong to the programmed caste category.
A police officer at DGP headquarters in Lucknow said the incident took place in the village of Paska, below the boundaries of the Paraspur police station in Gonda, around 2.30am on Monday and Tuesday. He said the initial investigation revealed that the girls were sleeping in the house’s second-floor room and the attacker climbed in to throw acid out the open window.
He said the sequence of events suggests that the attacker was aware of the family and knew that the girl sleeps in a room on the second floor. He said the police team has yet to track down the attacker and the reason behind the crime. The older girl, the officer added, would likely help track down the defendant and clarify the motive for the attack.
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