Acid attack on 3 students

Chandrakant Ulvekar was taking his morning walk on Wednesday morning when he noticed the commotion in front of Loreto Convent School, Chembu...

Chandrakant Ulvekar was taking his morning walk on Wednesday morning when he noticed the commotion in front of Loreto Convent School, Chembur.

When he rushed to investigate, the senior police inspector of the RCF Colony police station realised a man had just thrown acid on three girls, who were students of the school. Std VIII student Surjeet Kaur 13 was heading to school in an autorickshaw when 20-year-old Arjun Kumar, who was waiting outside the school premises, threw acid on her.

Though a few drops fell on Kaur and friends Priyanka Lewis D8217;Souza and Suzanne Berkman, they suffered minor injuries.

8216;8216;They were rushed to the Shatabdi Hospital and were discharged after preliminary first aid,8217;8217; Ulvekar said.

Jai Prakash Gupta, the driver of the autorickshaw the girls were travelling in, and a few locals caught Kumar on the spot.

According to the police, Kumar was following the instructions of his employer, Mulchand Harumlal Rangnani.

The 32-year-old caterer, who was allegedly smitten by Kaur8212;a student whose education he sponsored according to the police8212;was enraged when his advances were rejected.

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After Kumar told the police that Rangnani had asked him to throw hydrochloric acid8212;discolouration on the zebra crossing in front of the school suggests the acid was potent enough to dissolve paint8212;on Kaur, the police picked up Rangnani from his Chembur shop, Jaanu Caterers.

8216;8216;Rangnani had been sponsoring a part of Kaur8217;s education after a teacher, his acquaintance, told him the girl hailed from a poor family. But once the teacher learnt that Rangnani was attracted to Kaur, she annulled the arrangement,8217;8217; Ulvekar said.

Rangnani, the three girls and the teacher all live in Kopar Khairane, Navi Mumbai.

The principal of the school refused to comment.

Ulvekar said hydrochloric acid is easily available in provision stores across Mumbai. 8216;8216;Normally,8217;8217; said Ulvekar, 8216;8216;a 750-ml bottle of the acid is available for Rs 10 to Rs 15. It8217;s used to clean toilets and clear drains.8217;8217;

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Ulvekar said the accused have still not revealed where they purchased the acid from.