Bengaluru had the most acid attack victims (eight) from six incidences among metropolitan cities in 2022, according to the recently released crime statistics for 2022 by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
There were also three attempt to attack with acid cases registered during the same year.
The NCRB considered 19 metropolitan cities to present city-wise data. Delhi had the highest number of acid attack incidences (seven) and the same number of victims.
In 2022, an acid attack case in Bengaluru rattled citizens after one Nagesh Babu allegedly stalked a 24-year-old woman for several years, and splashed half-a-litre of acid at her for rejecting his marital advances on April 28. After a massive manhunt, the police nabbed the culprit from Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu in May, 2022.
Soon after this, two similar cases were reported in the city in 2022. On June 1, a Janata Adak was arrested by the Halasurugate police after he allegedly threw acid at Mantu Santra, a 32-year-old labourer over a trivial row.
On June 10, one Ahmed had allegedly splashed toilet cleaning liquid at the face of his woman friend, who refused to marry him.
Even earlier this year, in February, a 17-year-old girl suffered injuries to her eye after one Sumanth allegedly threw acid at her for spurning his overtures. These cases and the NCRB data have caused alarm among women in the city.
“It is so sad that what we assume to be a modern progressive city like Bengaluru tops the charts in acid attacks and dowry harassment cases. The sad part is that society is becoming habituated and is normalising these crimes against women as mere crimes and is not addressing the social context which makes these crimes possible. Despite demands by the women’s movement for decades now, we are not able to even ensure regulated availability of acid. The crime and punishment in acid attack cases has been so warped, it doesn’t act as a deterrent,” said K.S. Vimala, a leader of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA).
Bengaluru third in assault against women cases
Just after Delhi and Mumbai, Bengaluru has the third highest number of cases of assault on women with an intent to outrage modesty (757 cases and 763 victims) and 488 cases of assault on women with 492 victims, the NCRB data revealed.
Apart from this, 120 cases of sexual harassment, 63 cases of Assault or use of criminal force on women with intent to disrobe, 16 cases of voyeurism and 70 cases of stalking were booked in Bengaluru in the year 2022.
However, the city tops the chart in registering the highest number of dowry harassment cases among the 19 metro cities. Of the total 1,221 dowry harassment cases registered in these cities, 964 were in Bengaluru alone.
