20-year-old woman dies of injuries from acid attack in Chennai

Chennai: A young woman, who was battling injuries sustained in an acid attack, died at a Chennai hospital early this morning. Last month, a man had thrown acid on the 20-year- old victim while she was alone at an Internet browsing centre where she worked.

Police say the victim and the man, an IT professional, were considering marriage and had an argument after the woman asked him not to meet her until his parents gave consent to their alliance. Following this altercation, the man reportedly threw acid on her. He is now behind bars.

The victim's brother said, "He (the accused) should be behind bars for ten years. People should learn a lesson from this incident," and added, "no one from the government came to see her. They seem to have no concern."

Just a few days ago, a 23-year-old IT professional died of injuries from an acid attack in the city. She was grievously injured in November last year after acid was thrown on her face when she was visiting her hometown of Puducherry, allegedly by a man whose marriage proposal she had rejected.  

Recently, the government cleared a new set of laws to protect women, which provide a minimum of 10 years in prison for those convicted of acid attacks.