Delhi ‘Acid Attack’: In a dramatic turn in the acid attack case near Delhi’s Laxmi Bai College, police have arrested the woman’s father, 45-year-old Akil Khan, who had earlier been reported absconding. Senior officers from Bharat Nagar police station confirmed late on Monday that Khan was tracked down in Ghaziabad, where he was allegedly hiding at a relative’s house.
Police sources revealed that during interrogation, Akil Khan confessed to plotting the fake acid attack to frame 28-year-old Jitender.
According to police, the acid used in the alleged assault was not industrial acid but a toilet cleaner that the student herself had purchased. Investigators now believe that both the father and daughter jointly staged the attack to create false evidence against Jitender.
Breaking News : दिल्ली एसिड अटैक से जुड़ी बड़ी खबर, पीड़िता के पिता ने ही रची थी साजिश @Sheerin_sherry | https://t.co/smwhXURgtc#Delhi #AcidAttack #DelhiUniversity pic.twitter.com/91hUKzZQNn
— ABP News (@ABPNews) October 27, 2025
Khan reportedly told police, “Jitender’s wife has filed a case against me, so we need to trap him in return.”
Police further said that in addition to Jitender, the FIR also named Ishan and Arman, with whom Khan had ongoing personal disputes. Their names were allegedly added to the complaint to settle old scores.
Officials confirmed that the police are now preparing to initiate legal proceedings against both the father and daughter for criminal conspiracy and filing a false case. Provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to conspiracy will be invoked.
With Khan’s confession and evidence pointing to a staged attack, police said that both the father and daughter could face imminent arrest. Investigators described the case as a serious misuse of legal provisions that undermines genuine survivors of acid violence.
The development comes as the investigation so far points to conflicting accounts, family disputes, and allegations of manipulation.
According to police sources cited by IANS, investigators suspected that Khan might have played a role in fabricating parts of the initial complaint or influencing the sequence of events.
The case stems from an incident reported on Sunday around 10:52 a.m., when Khan’s 20-year-old daughter—a second-year Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB) student affiliated with Delhi University—was admitted to Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital with acid burns on both hands and minor injuries to her stomach.
Investigations Point To Contradiction In Victim’s Account
In her statement to Sub-Inspector Ravi Rathi, the victim accused an acquaintance, Jitender (28), a married painter from Mukundpur, of stalking her for over a year and orchestrating the acid attack with two associates, Ishan and Arman. She alleged that the trio ambushed her on a motorcycle near Laxmi Bai College while she was heading for class, claiming that Arman threw the acid at her.
According to IANS, forensic tests later confirmed that the liquid was indeed a strong acid, causing about five per cent burns. However, further investigation began to unravel her account. Call Detail Records (CDR), CCTV footage, and multiple witness testimonies placed Jitender at a painting site in Karol Bagh during the time of the assault. His motorcycle was also confirmed to be parked there.
The discrepancies deepened as CCTV timelines showed the victim travelling on a scooty with her brother, who dropped her short of the college before disappearing. His unavailability for questioning has raised fresh suspicions of family involvement, prompting police to issue a lookout notice, IANS reported.
Parallel Complaint and Old Feuds
Adding to the case’s complexity, IANS police sources said that on October 24, just two days before the attack, Jitender’s wife had filed a complaint at the Bhalswa Dairy police station, accusing Khan, her former employer, of sexual harassment, coercion, and extortion. That case remains under separate investigation.
Further complicating the picture, Ishan and Arman, residents of Mangolpuri, are currently in Agra with their mother, Shabnam, a survivor of a 2018 acid attack. Shabnam claims that her earlier assault was carried out by Khan’s relatives amid a property dispute still pending in court. She has pledged her sons will return for a polygraph-assisted interrogation.
Meanwhile, the victim, now under specialised burn care at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, continues to insist that her stalker is guilty.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor, NCW On Case
Following public outcry, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena has ordered a time-bound probe into the case. The National Commission for Women (NCW) and student organisations have also condemned the attack, citing broader concerns about campus safety.
Archana Majumdar, member of the NCW, told news agency ANI, “The NCW is committed to women’s security, safety, and dignity… We are ensuring prompt medical treatment, counselling, and rehabilitation for the victim… We demand strict legal action. The incident is currently under investigation, and while the victim’s injuries are not deemed serious, the NCW will continue to address such concerns seriously.”
Dr Manraj Gurjar, Proctor of Laxmi Bai College, clarified that the incident occurred outside the campus, stating, “She is an NCWEB student, not a regular college student… This incident happened outside the college campus, on the main road… There was a PCR van within 50 metres of the incident site, with a female police officer always present.”
Deputy Commissioner Bhisham Singh said investigators are proceeding with caution, stressing that the motive must be established “with forensic and testimonial rigour to avert injustice”.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau, Delhi recorded 147 acid attack cases in 2025, underlining persistent gaps in deterrence and women’s safety.
