Preeti Rathi – Victim of Acid Attack

Despite strong laws to prevent growing crime against women, they are still the victim of either gangrape or acid attack. Preeti Rathi became the latest victim of acid attack in Mumbai. She battled for life at a hospital, but finally closed her eyes forever.

The 23-year-old Delhi girl met the fate that the attacker wanted to see. Once again, the government was criticised for inaction. The probe conducted by the GRP into acid attack on Preeti was also questioned. The culprit is still at large. By announcing few amount to the victim’s family is the solution, the government thinks. Is it justice to the victim? Certainly not. Following protests and outrage, the Maharashtra government agreed to hand over the case to the CBI.

Preeti was visiting Mumbai with a lot of dreams in her eyes to join the Colaba Naval Hospital ‘INS Ashwini’ as a staff nurse. However, something else was written in her fate. An unidentified man flung acid on her while she got down from Garib Rath Express at Bandra Terminus in Mumbai on May 2.

She died following multiple organ failure on June 2 after being on ventilator support for two weeks. Her right lung had suffered severe damage and few complications were in her upper respiratory system. She was unable to talk and see her parents.

Initially, the Prithviraj Chavan government was reluctant to order a CBI probe into the case. Later, “Stop Acid Attack” campaigners and five persons from various parts of the country, who survived acid attacks earlier, submitted a memorandum to the Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil demanding a CBI probe into the case. Following the assurance from the government, her last rites were performed on June 3 in New Delhi. Her death was painful, but time will tell when she will get justice.