Fourth-time acid attack

TT, Lucknow, July 2 (PTI): A woman who survived a gang rape and acid attack eight years ago has been rushed to hospital again with burns on her face and neck, police said today, after the 45-year-old was targeted last night for the fifth time.

Her condition was said to be stable.

Police sources said no FIR had been registered yet and they were waiting for a complaint from the victim's family.

The woman's ordeal had started in 2009 when two men raped and attacked her with acid over a property dispute at her home at Unchahar, 100km from Lucknow. She was stabbed in 2012 before being attacked again with acid the following year, police sources said.

Four months ago, two men are alleged to have forced acid down her throat on a train.

Uttar Pradesh police had then provided her with security while chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited her in hospital and announced an assistance of Rs 1 lakh.

Last night's attack, near a hostel in the Aliganj area of the state capital where the victim lives, took place despite the presence of security for her protection. "There was a guard and some girls who were there on the roof when the incident took place but none of them saw anyone.... Police are looking into the matter and have also detained those involved in the previous incident," state women welfare minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi said.

A police official said no one had seen anybody throw acid. "Be it the hostel warden or the girls, no one saw the attacker or anyone fleeing."

Sandeep, the constable deployed for her protection, also said he didn't see anyone running away. "When I heard a voice, I ran towards the hostel, but I did not find anyone running from there. I was there outside."

The Opposition Samajwadi Party attacked the BJP government in the state, saying criminal elements were ruling the roost. Adityanath, however, expressed doubts over last night's incident, saying it may have been staged to defame his government.

"Has this attack really happened or are some people hatching a conspiracy to defame the state government?" the chief minister said told a private news channel today.