In a shocking incident in Punjab's Kapurthala district, a group of women attacked other women with acid over a land dispute. Of the nine injured, five were Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act workers.
According to PTI, the two groups were involved in a confrontation over possession of a panchayat land in Bhui village.
Among the victims, the wife of village sarpanch Vinod Sehgal, Reena Sehgal, was seriously injured and has been referred to a private hospital in Jalandhar. A case under Indian Penal Code has been registered over the incident.
Vinod, Reena, and other victims were reportedly visiting the disputed land for construction of a community centre, but were allegedly attacked with acid by a group of women. The acid attack injured women from both the groups.
The FIR has identified villagers Nirmal Singh, his mother Ratan Kaur, his wife Rajvinder Kaur and daughter Lovepreet Kaur. Rajvinder and her daughter Lovepreet were also injured in the acid attack.
Last week, a female constable was also injured in an acid attack in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district.
India has one of the highest numbers of acid attacks. In April, the Supreme Court had ordered private hospitals to provide immediate and free treatment to victims of acid attack. Most acid attack victims are women and children.
It leaves severe physical, psychological and social scarring. After many campaigns, acid attack survivors have now received social acceptance with one Indian acid attack survivor walking the New York Fashion Week in 2016.
