Rejected in love, woman throws acid on her ex-boyfriend

We do not agree that acid attacks--no matter the gender of the victim--are the way to go. Photo courtesy: IndiaToday.in

Try searching for the term "acid attack" on the Internet, and you will be bombarded with a plethora of horrific cases. From jilted lovers to spurned spouses--the perpetrators in most cases are men.

However, in a recent case, a 26-year-old woman allegedly threw acid on her former lover, and later slashed his face with a surgical knife. The incident took place in the Vijayanagar area of Bengaluru, after the victim turned down the marriage proposal made by the woman.

The accused, who is a nurse by profession, had been in a relationship with the victim for over four years.

According to the Times of India, the duo, belong to different religions. While the accused, Lidia, is Christian; the victim, Jayakumar, is Hindu. This did not go down well with the families of the couple, as a result of which they parted ways in October of 2016. 

"Jayakumar told her that he will marry Lidia but won't change his religion. But Lidia was of the opinion that her family would accept the marriage only if Jayakumar converted," the daily quotes the police as saying.

Moreover, as per a report published in India Today, he had started distancing himself from Lidia, and was planning on getting married to someone else. "It seemed that the accused was well prepared. She had come wearing a black dress and her face covered. Jayakumar and his brother were returning home on a motorbike when the accused waited for him near the pipeline area of Vijayanagara. As soon as she spotted him, she threw acid on his face," states the report.

When the duo tried to follow the accused and nab her, she attacked Jayakumar with a knife. Though he is out of danger, the victim is being treated at KC General Hospital for injuries.

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This is probably not the first time when the tables have turned. In January, 2016, a 19-year-old girl threw acid on her 21-year-old boyfriend because he rejected her marriage proposal.

For years, women have been scared to retaliate after getting eve-teased or molested, fearing an attack much worse in nature. Seriously, how can we ignore the staggering statistics?

As per Acid Survivors Foundation India (ASFI), there were at least 106 cases reported in 2012, which rose to 500 in 2015. Many of these incidents are hushed up because the perpetrator turns out to be the husband or an ex-boyfriend.

Though, after years of being the victim, women are now donning the role of the perpetrator, which might induce a thread of fear in the hearts of men. However, instead picking up weapons for revenge, women should pick them up in defense.  

We do not agree that acid attacks--no matter the gender of the victim--are the way to go, in any case. Cases such as there should be curtailed.