Premium

‘Want him to suffer the same pain’: Sambhal teacher attacked with acid; accused held after shootout

According to police, the accused had been harassing the teacher for months, sending her obscene messages and threatening her. Police have arrested his 'girlfriend', who allegedly instigated the attack, as well

What appeared to be a routine business exchange quickly turned dangerous when two miscreants suddenly appeared, claiming they needed to inspect the victims’ vehicles.What appeared to be a routine business exchange quickly turned dangerous when two miscreants suddenly appeared, claiming they needed to inspect the victims’ vehicles. (Express Photo)

A 40-year-old man who allegedly threw acid on a woman teacher in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal earlier this week was arrested following a shootout late Thursday night, police officers said.

Police identified the accused as Nishu, a resident of Amroha. He was shot in both legs during an exchange of fire around 10.30 pm on Thursday.

Addressing the media, Superintendent of Police, Krishna Kumar Bishnoi, said: “He fired at the police team. The team opened fire in retaliation, and he was shot in both legs. A country-made pistol of .315 bore, two spent cartridges and an electric scooter have been recovered from him. He is undergoing treatment.”

According to police, Nishu had been harassing the 25-year-old teacher for months, sending her obscene messages and threatening her. On Tuesday afternoon, as the woman was returning home, Nishu allegedly flung a flammable substance at her from a scooter. She sustained 25% burns to her face, neck and stomach and is being treated at a private hospital.

The victim told police that a man on a scooter, who had covered his face with a handkerchief, threw acid on her. She said her marriage was fixed with an army soldier in June but Nishu used to harass her, saying that she should not get married to the soldier.

Initially, Nishu misled the police by claiming that the army soldier was supposed to marry his sister and he bore a grudge as the proposal had been rejected. However, police said, further questioning revealed a different story.

Police said Nishu was manipulated by his girlfriend, who allegedly instigated the attack.

Story continues below this ad

Police said he met his girlfriend on an online site a few months ago. She told Nishu that the soldier had cheated on her sister.

The police then arrested her as well. During her questioning, police said she admitted that it was her who the jawan had allegedly cheated. Police said she claimed that last December, she left her husband and secretly married the soldier in a temple ceremony. The two lived together for a short period before the soldier’s family arranged his engagement to the teacher.

Once the engagement was finalised, the soldier abruptly ended his relationship with the woman. As an act of vengeance, she convinced Nishu to carry out the acid attack on the teacher, police said.

Police added that she connected with Nishu on Instagram after creating a fake ID.

Story continues below this ad

ASP (North) Kuldeep Singh and CO Asmoli Kuldeep Kumar, along with police teams from four stations were involved in the operation.

Officers said that Nishu used to work as a chemist at a milk dairy two years ago. They said he would be questioned further about the substance used in the attack.

Meanwhile, videos have surfaced online from when he was taken to a hospital. With folded hands, he was seen pleading with the Superintendent of Police for mercy. The SP responded that “only god can forgive him now.”

Saman Husain is a Correspondent at The Indian Express. Based in New Delhi, she is an emerging voice in political journalism, reporting on civic governance, elections, migration, and the social consequences of policy, with a focus on ground-reporting across Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Honours) from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, and is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beats: Her reporting focuses on the national capital’s governance and politics. She specializes in Delhi’s civic administration and the city units of the BJP, AAP and Congress. In western Uttar Pradesh, she mostly reports on crime. Specialization: She has a keen interest in electoral processes and politics — her recent contributions include work on electoral roll revisions. Recent Notable Articles (since July 2025) Her recent work reflects a strong show-not-tell approach to storytelling, combining narrative reporting with political and historical context: 1. Politics: “On the banks of the Yamuna, a political tussle for Purvanchali support” (October 6): A report on how migration histories shaped electoral strategies in Delhi before the Bihar elections. “Explained: How Delhi’s natural drainage vanished gradually over the centuries” (September 29): An explanatory piece tracing the historical reasons that eventually led to the erosion of Delhi’s rivers and its impact on perrenial flooding. 2. Longforms “Four weddings, three funerals: How a Uttar Pradesh man swindled insurance companies” (October 7): A long-read reconstructing a chilling fraud by a man who killed three of his family members, including both his parents for insurance proceeds. His fourth wife discovered his fraud… “How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy of a country that doesn’t exist — for 9 years” (July 27) : A story on bizarre fraud operation and the institutional blind spots that enabled it. 3. Crime and Justice: “He was 8 when his father was killed. Fifteen years later, in UP’s Shamli, he took revenge” (October 18): A deeply reported crime story tracing cycles of violence, memory and justice in rural Uttar Pradesh. “Who killed 19 girls in Nithari? With the SC rejecting appeals, there are no answers and no closure” (July 31): A report capturing the long legal and emotional aftermath of one of India’s most chilling unsolved criminal cases. 4. Policy Impact “At Manthan, over US tariffs, Delhi-NCR’s apparel industry brainstorms solutions” (September 8) and “Trump’s 50% tariff begins to bite: Agra’s leather belt feels the impact” (August 13) : Reports documenting how global trade decisions ripple through local industries, workers and exporters. Signature Style Saman is recognized for her grassroots storytelling. Her articles often focus on the "people behind the policy". She is particularly skilled at taking mundane administrative processes and turning them into compelling human narratives. X (Twitter): @SamanHusain9 ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Loading Taboola...
Advertisement