Haryana man held for Siliguri acid attack

SNS, Siliguri, 24 December 2014: Police have arrested one person in connection with an acid attack on two women in Siliguri. The two women and a man were injured in the attack at Sevoke Road on 11 December.

Police said the main accused, Manoj Kumar, 32, was picked up from Haryana on 20 December and that he was brought here on transit remand last night. The women, who are singers at a local bar, and their driver Md Nisar were injured when two motorcycle borne persons threw acid on the Maruti Omni car.

Police said they have identified the person who was riding the motorcycle, while Manoj Kumar had been pillion riding.

While one of the women had been referred to a Kolkata-based nursing home, the two others are admitted in a Siliguri-based private nursing home.

"Police started investigations and interrogated two persons, Rohit Singh and Amit Ghosh, residents of Siliguri. After interrogation, they came to know of the involvement of Manoj Kumar. Kumar, a resident of Haryana, worked in an ordinance unit at Salugara. Police had started electronic surveillance through call detail records,” Siliguri Metropolitan Police commissioner Jag Mohan today told a press conference here.

“A police team went to Haryana and arrested him with the help of the local police on 20 December.

He has been brought here on transit remand," he added.

Police have also come to know that Kumar had a relationship with one of the victims and, though he was married, he wanted to marry her too.

"Kumar wanted to marry her and they had differences of opinion on this. He used to threaten the woman and her mother and even threatened revenge. Kumar even tortured her mother. Police took statements from the victims,” Mr Mohan said.

“The victim told the police that during the attack, she had seen Kumar as the pillion rider, who threw acid on them," he added.