Delhi Police to question woman who allegedly faked acid attack at father’s behest

Delhi Police will question a 20-year-old college student who allegedly staged a fake acid attack on herself on the instructions of her father, who wanted to take revenge over a rape complaint filed against him.

According to officials, the woman, a second-year B.Com student of Delhi University’s Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board, had claimed that three men threw acid on her near Ashok Vihar on Sunday while she was on her way to attend an extra class. She identified the attackers as Jitender and his two brothers, who were later found to be her relatives.

However, during the investigation, the police found no evidence to support her claims. CCTV footage from the area did not show any sign of the attack, and no acid bottles or other materials were recovered from the spot. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team also failed to find traces of acid. Instead, it was discovered that the student had poured toilet cleaner on her own hand to create fake injuries and falsely accuse Jitender and his family.

A senior police officer said the woman will be interrogated on Tuesday to determine her role and motive. “So far, it appears that the entire family was involved in the conspiracy. A team including senior officers will question her to understand why the incident was staged,” the officer said.

The woman’s father, Akil Khan , was arrested on Monday for allegedly planning the fake attack. Police said he used the toilet cleaner to make it appear like an acid assault in order to falsely implicate Jitender, whose wife had filed a rape case against him.

Investigators revealed that Jitender’s wife had accused Khan of sexually assaulting her between 2021 and 2024 while she worked in his socks factory. To take revenge, Khan allegedly conspired with his daughter and brother to fabricate the acid attack.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh said the investigation showed that Jitender had no role in the incident. “We verified his location and CCTV footage, which confirmed he was working at a site in Karol Bagh at the time. He lives in Mukundpur and works as a painter,” Singh said.

The DCP added that two other suspects linked to the case are currently outside Delhi but will soon be questioned. “Strict action will be taken against all those found guilty. Multiple police teams are working round the clock to collect evidence and trace where the toilet cleaner was purchased,” he said.

Police have registered a case and are continuing the investigation to determine the full extent of the family’s involvement.