Chennai:
Two girls are in hospital in Tamil Nadu's Madurai after a man threw acid on them just outside their college this afternoon.
The incident took place in Thirumangalam, when the girls were walking out of their college after an exam. They are both studying English at the Madurai Kamraj University.
"It happened suddenly. We have not seen the man before," said a student who witnessed the incident.
A police officer said the motive for the attack is not known yet.
"We suspect one of the girls was the real target as she had had a fight with someone. We are investigating that angle. Though they suffered 30 and 10 per cent burn injuries, doctors say they are out of danger," a senior police officer said.
Rising number of acid attacks in India led the Supreme Court to issue guidelines last year to restrict its sale.
There have been over 200 reported cases of such attacks on women between 2010 and 2012, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.