Three refugees, including a Syrian national and a toddler, suffered burns as they were attacked with acid during an argument with residents in west Delhi's Vikaspuri that took place near the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC).
A senior police officer said that the 11 month old child was discharged from the Safdarjung hospital on Wednesday after the toddler received burn marks by a local who threw a liquid on three refugees.
According to the police on Wednesday, the incident took place near the UNHRC building located at Vikaspuri on September 30 when a fight ensued between the locals of the area and the refugees who took shelter near the building. However, this was not the first time that a brawl erupted between them.
According to sources, the refugees have been identified as a 28-year-old refugee from Syria Rafat and a former call centre employee, his wife Marisa, a Thai national, and their son.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vichitra Veer said a PCR call was received regarding the quarrel between the refugees and local residents.
“On receiving the call, the local police reached the spot and found that there was a quarrel between refugees and residents. During the quarrel, one person named Rakesh Kumar came with a plastic jerry can and spilled some liquid on the clothes and tentage etc where few of them were residing,†he stated.
Veer said on primary examination, the liquid appeared to be phenyl, but the exact composition will be established only on chemical examination. According to police sources, among the three refugees, one is a Syrian national.An FIR was lodged under appropriate sections of criminal law on October 1 and the accused was arrested, the DCP said.
“A case was been registered in Vikaspuri police station against unknown persons under sections 115 (voluntary hurt), 124(2) (throws or attempts to throw acid) and 3(5) (multiple people doing a crime) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),†he added.
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.
