Victim's family had turned down his marriage proposal after coming to know of his habit of alcohol and drug consumption; 19-year-old has suffered 20% burn injuries and is undergoing treatment Upset after his marriage proposal was rejected, a 23-year-old man forced his former girlfriend to swallow toilet cleaner. The gruesome incident took place on Wednesday morning in south-east Delhi's Sangam Vihar area. The families of both parties said the two were in a relationship, but recently, the 19-year-old girl refused to marry the accused over his habit of consuming alcohol and drugs. The incident has yet again brought to the fore the troubling reality of such attacks in the Capital. Five cases of acid attack in Delhi have already been registered this year, and as many as 20 attacks took place in the city last year. "Accused Ravi Kumar forced the victim to drink a chemical generally used to clean toilets at home. He initially escaped from the crime scene but later surrendered at the police station. The chemical has been sent for forensic examination," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south-east) Romil Baaniya said. The girl's family has, meanwhile, claimed that the chemical was acid. According to the police, the two had been in a relationship for over two years and their families were aware of it. The victim's sister said: "The families had started talking about marriage but later we got to know about his habit of alcohol and drug consumption. He even slapped her some days ago. His family was also opposed to the marriage." She further alleged that Ravi got a bottle of acid and forced the victim to drink it. "She is unable to speak, her mouth is burnt. She is undergoing treatment and doctors are assessing internal damage," the sister added. The girl, who sustained around 20 per cent burn injuries, is admitted to AIIMS. The police were informed about the incident in the morning. Ravi told the cops that he suspected the girl was talking to some other boy. Ravi's mother said: "He was with her for the last two years and we had agreed to the match. The girl's family, however, refused later and my son was upset. He did not even eat for days. He was very angry." A case under Section 336 (endangering human life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), in 2015, a total of 366 incidents of acid attack were reported from across the country. The maximum number of cases were reported from Uttar Pradesh (72), followed by West Bengal (59), and Delhi (30).

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