‘Why would anyone do this to us!’

In a village where fear once came from the forests at dusk it now walks the roads in broad daylight On March 17 an 11yearold girl cycling home from school in Vadgaon Pan was attacked with acid just minutes before she would have reached safety There was no warning no known dispute no explanation Only a child a quiet rural road and a moment that has left an entire community shakenThe victimrsquos home located about 4 km from her school connected by a narrow isolated road where the attack took place PicsArchana DahiwalToday the questions are louder than the answers And the voices coming from her home are not just asking for justice they are asking how anyone is expected to live like this anymoreThe road homegtgt The road she took every day is narrow and uneven A single vehicle can barely pass When one does thick dust rises gtgt Fields stretch on both sides There are long patches with no houses no peoplegtgt This is where she cycled every daygtgt This is where she was attackedThe victimrsquos mother with her younger son still trying to process the moment she learned her daughter had been attackedThe police investigationPolice have formed eight teams A sketch of the suspect has been released Technical forensic and local units are searching Citizens with information are requested to contact the police Informantsrsquo identities will be kept confidentialThe girlgtgt She is 11 A schoolgoing child who cycled nearly four kilometres every day She had been going to the same school since Std Igtgt Teachers remember her as sincere quiet focusedgtgt Now she lies in a burn ward unable to eat solid food her face heavily bandagedgtgt Doctors say nearly 70 per cent of her face has been affected Two surgeries have already been done More may followThe bicycle the 11yearold used to ride to school every day left behind on the road after the attackThe long road aheadgtgt Doctors say she will likely remain hospitalised for two monthsgtgt She cannot eat properly yet She is on a liquid diet The burns are deep The recovery will be slowgtgt But they believe she will surviveInside the homeHer maternal uncle with whom she lives tries to explain what this feels likeldquoBy evening fear of tigers and leopards forces children indoors In the past a few children were killed in leopard attacks And now predators in human form are targeting our daughters openly in the middle of the day You tell us how are we supposed to live like thisrdquo He works at construction sites A large family depends on himHospital in Loni where the 11yearold is undergoing treatment for severe facial burns after the acid attackldquoMy daughters and the acid survivor go to school daily on their bicycles After this incident my daughters were so scared I started dropping and picking them up I donrsquot want them to sit at home But it is not possible to manage school trips while leaving my work After all I have to feed the entire familyrdquoAnger beyond the homeThe incident has shaken Sangamner Protests broke out Locals gathered demanding answers and action ldquoThis is the first incident of its kind here The entire town stands united We want strict punishment so that nothing like this happens againrdquo said local representative Kapil Pawar Another person said ldquoIf girls who are simply trying to study are not safe what does that say about usrdquoWhat happened in those momentsAfter the attack the girl ran She left her bicycle behind and rushed into a nearby house looking for help A woman there tried to wash her face with water but even her own hands began to burn The acid had already started tearing through skin She was rushed first to a nearby hospital then shifted to a hospital in Loni about 30 km awayAfter the incident the school began weekend sessions where female students can speak openly with female teachers CCTV cameras have now been installed at the entrance Support has been strengthened but only after something irreversible has already happenedThe attackDate amp time March 17 around 1145 amWhere Kaccha road near Mahadev temple Vadgaon PanWhat happened Acid was thrown at a Std VI student returning from schoolAftermath She ran for help leaving her bicycle behindNow Under treatment condition stable but with critical injuriesCitizens with information are requested to contact the policePolice Inspector Praveen Sangle ndash 9665093468Sangamner Taluka Police Station ndash 02425222333API Dnyaneshwar Katore ndash 9822202333Police SubInspector Mahesh Shinde ndash 9527039196