Representative image of acid attack.
Credit: DH Illustration
New Delhi: Three refugees, including a Syrian national and a 11-month-old child, suffered burns as they were attacked with acid during an argument with residents in west Delhi's Vikaspuri, police said on Wednesday.
The child was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital for treatment and was discharged today, they said.
An FIR has been lodged and a local resident, Rakesh Kumar, has been arrested in the matter, according to a police statement.
The incident took place on September 30 near the UNHRC (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) office located at Vikaspuri, they said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vichitra Veer said a PCR call was received regarding a brawl between the refugees and local residents.
A police team reached the spot and found that during the altercation, Kumar brought a can and threw some chemical at the three refugees and on the tentage where a few of them were residing.
Veer said on primary examination, the liquid appeared to be phenyl, but the exact composition will be established only on chemical examination.
Among the three refugees, one is a Syrian national, a police source said.
An FIR was lodged under appropriate sections of criminal law on October 1 and the accused was arrested, the DCP said.
The police, in a statement, said refugees frequent the UNHRC office in Vikaspuri seeking work and shelter. They often raise slogans, causing disturbance to the locals.
"Refugees go there from time to time, asking for work and shelter. Many a times, they raise slogans also, which causes disturbance to the local residents. On that day also, there was a heated argument between the refugees and the security guard deployed there, leading to the incident," read the statement.