In a tragic incident, a Syrian refugee and his 11-month-old son were targeted in West Delhi’s Vikaspuri town where residents allegedly splashed the boy and his father with a corrosive substance.
The incident took place on Monday, September 30. The victim Rafat, his wife Marisa, 26, and their son have been living in a makeshift house outside the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Vikaspuri.
Speaking to the media, Rafat described the harrowing moment when he noticed the attackers approaching with a canister. Despite his efforts to escape, he and his son were doused with a corrosive liquid that caused immediate burning sensations. Following the attack, they struggled to find transport to Safdarjung Hospital and eventually received help from a passerby.
“On September 30, when Marisa went to use a public toilet nearby, a group assaulted me and my son. I saw from afar that they were holding a can and I sensed danger. I tried to run away but couldn’t get too far away before they threw something on me and my son. My skin started to burn and I sensed a chemical smell on me. I begged many autorickshaws to take us to the hospital but received no help. A motorcycle rider eventually helped him and dropped him at the hospital,” Rafat was quoted by TOI.
The child sustained burns on his face and neck, while Rafat experienced burns on his neck and back. After their treatment, an FIR was filed on October 1. Following the investigation, a suspect identified as Rakesh Kumar, 40, who allegedly used phenyl during the attack was arrested on Wednesday, October 9 from his residence in Vikaspuri.
Speaking on the case, police said, the arrested accused poured phenyl on the father and the son. According to the child’s medical documents, he suffered 10 percent burns near his eyes, and on the shoulder and chest. The child was later discharged from the hospital on Wednesday and both patients are said to be in stable condition, the officials said.
“The accused who works at a Noida-based private firm has been booked under BNS sections 115 (causing voluntary hurt) and 124(2) (throws or attempts to throw acid)” the police official said.
The police further said that the incident had occurred in the Vikaspuri area where some Syrians had been protesting for one month outside the UNHCR office demanding jobs and houses and raising slogans for justice. However, the locals complained that they were affected by the protest, which led to a scuffle. During this, the accused splashed the liquid on some of the refugees, injuring Rafat and his son.
The incident has garnered the attention of local NGOs such as ‘Brave Souls Foundation’, an organization, that offers legal and medical support to the family. Activists stressed that even if the attacked people are refugees, they have rights and should be protected under Indian law.
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