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New Delhi: In a shocking development, Delhi Police on Monday claimed that the 20-year-old college student who alleged an acid attack near Lakshmibai College on Sunday had fabricated the incident at the behest of her father. The revelation came after investigators found inconsistencies in her statement and electronic evidence contradicting her claims. The father, who has since been arrested, allegedly staged the assault using toilet cleaner to seek revenge against a man whose wife had accused him of rape. Alleged attack turns out to be staged The woman, a second-year BCom student enrolled in Delhi University’s Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board, initially told police that she was attacked with acid by three men — Jitender, Ishan, and Arman — while on her way to an extra class on Sunday morning. She was admitted to RML Hospital with burn injuries on her hands.At first, police believed the incident to be a case of stalking, as DCP (Northwest) Bhisham Singh stated that one of the accused had been following the woman for months. However, further investigation revealed significant discrepancies, particularly in Jitender’s mobile location, which placed him far from the alleged crime scene. Police uncover revenge motive According to senior officers cited by Hindustan Times, the woman’s father confessed during interrogation that he and his daughter had conspired to stage the acid attack to falsely implicate Jitender and his relatives. “He admitted that the entire case was orchestrated to settle scores,” said a senior officer familiar with the investigation.The motive reportedly stemmed from a separate legal case. Two days before the alleged acid assault, Jitender’s wife had lodged a complaint accusing the woman’s father of rape and blackmail. She alleged that while working in his factory between 2021 and 2024, he raped her multiple times and used private photos and videos to threaten her. CCTV and call records disprove claims Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Ravindra Singh Yadav said that CCTV footage and call detail records (CDRs) clearly contradicted the woman’s account. The footage showed the student leaving home on a two-wheeler with her brother and later boarding an e-rickshaw in Ashok Vihar — but none of the three alleged attackers appeared anywhere near her route.“Preliminary findings indicate that she used a toilet cleaner taken from her home to inflict minor burns on her hands, simulating an acid attack,” said an investigator. Officers added that no traces of acid were found at the alleged crime spot and the burns are still being medically reviewed. Father arrested for rape and staging attack When summoned for questioning in the rape case, the woman’s father reportedly sent his lawyer and an Islamic preacher instead of appearing personally, prompting police to launch a search. He was eventually tracked to Sangam Vihar and arrested late Monday. Investigators now believe the acid attack hoax was an attempt to discredit Jitender and his family, who had been entangled in both personal and property disputes with the accused.The two other men named in the FIR were verified to have been in Agra with their mother at the time of the incident, confirming their alibis. Previous acid attack and family disputes Police sources also revealed that the woman herself had been the victim of a real acid attack in 2018, which left her with minor injuries. She is distantly related to Jitender’s family and has been involved in ongoing property disputes with them. Investigators are now examining whether those disputes influenced the false complaint. Ongoing investigation Authorities are continuing to examine electronic data, witness statements, and medical reports to determine the full extent of the hoax. Police also noted that the woman’s brother, who dropped her before the incident, has not joined the investigation despite repeated summons. “We are also probing his role and why he did not accompany her to the college gate,” said DCP Bhisham Singh. The case, which initially caused public outrage over women’s safety in Delhi, has now taken a disturbing turn, highlighting how false claims can obstruct justice and divert attention from genuine victims of violence.
