BIJNOR: In a role reversal of sorts, a 19-year-old girl angry at her boyfriend, 21, rejecting her proposal for marriage called him home and burnt his face with acid. The incident, which happened in Bijnor on Sunday night, has shocked both police and neighbours of the estranged couple alike.

The girl, identified only as Afreen in the FIR at Mandawar police station, had invited Sooraj Kumar home for her birthday party. Kumar readily agreed, knowing little what his girlfriend had planned for him.

Now with 20% burn injuries, Kumar, still in hospital where doctors have said he is out of danger "but a little disfigured", recounted the horror and cried, "I am Hindu and Afreen is Muslim. We cannot get married as we belong to different faiths. I told her that my marriage has been settled and this angered her."

He added, "She invited me for a birthday party to her house in Inampura on Sunday night. I attended her party and took dinner. After dinner when I set out for my house, she called me on my mobile phone and asked me to come back. I returned to her house as I did not suspect anything. But when I reached her place, she poured acid over my face. It was with my friend Arjun Kumar who rushed me to hospital. I don't know what she would have done had he not been there.”

It is learnt that Afreen and Kumar studied together at a degree college in Bijnor. While Kumar was studying BCom, Afreen was doing her BA. It was in college that they met and began a relationship a year and half ago. They had, in fact, even decided to get married when trouble began brewing at home regarding their religion. Kumar then, unable to convince his parents, called off the affair.

Circle officer Ramanand Kushwah said, "There is a matter of love affair. The police has registered a case against the girl under section 326A (which lays down punishment for acid throwing, a minimum of 10 years in prison) based on the complaint of Sooraj’s father Mahendra Singh. Police are probing the matter. ”

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