Acid case: Maneka asks police to speed up probe

New Delhi, Sep 9: Police were yet to make any arrest in the case of a minor girl from south Delhi allegedly forced to drink acid by unidentified persons, even as Union minister Maneka Gandhi today said she has directed a senior officer to speed up the investigation.

The girl, a Class X student in Kalkaji, had complained of stomach pain after reaching school on Wednesday morning.

The school authorities had then informed her mother and took her to a hospital from where she was later discharged and taken home in Sangam Vihar.

However, two hours later, the mother took her to Safdarjung Hospital and alleged that she was forced to drink acid by unidentified men near her school, who were harassing and stalking since the past one month, a police officer said.

The police also suspect that the girl might have consumed something herself "under depression". Prima facie, it was not a case where the girl was forced to drink acid.

There were no external injuries on the girl's body and she is fully conscious and is talking with her mother, police had yesterday said.

A senior official at Safdarjung Hospital, when contacted today over reports that only her lungs were affected by the acid, said, "It depends on whether the girl ingested or inhaled it.

Also, if a very small quantity of the liquid is consumed, it may slip through the windpipe and to the lungs, instead of going to the food pipe." Meanwhile, Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi today tweeted, "We have directed ACP Kalkaji to speed up investigation, in order to ensure swift justice for the child."

Another police officer said, "The girl's statement would be recorded in couple of days time. Since her lungs have been affected, the recovery is slow. And, it will be recorded once she is a position to do so."

PTI