28 February,2018 10:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan and Hajra Bi
Having completed treatment, Lalita is now happily married
It has been close to two months that an FIR was registered against Ria Sharma, founder of the NGO Make Love Not Scars for not giving acid attack survivors the money collected for them, but the police are yet to make any breakthrough in the case. The victims and the complainants allege cops have not moved an inch. In November last year, mid-day had reported allegations against Sharma's NGO 'Make Love Not Scars' which had collected funds on the pretext of helping acid attack survivors and not forwarded the aid to them.
Also Read: Mumbai: Another acid attack victim claims money from NGO never reached her
Soon after, cops recorded statements of the victims and booked Sharma under section 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code on December 31, 2017 at the Bandra police station. But little has happened since. A police source revealed Sharma had applied for an anticipatory bail application, which got rejected by the sessions court. The concerned officer confirmed the bail rejection, but did not comment on the investigation that has been done so far.
ALSO READ
Jhansi hospital fire: Two more die, toll reaches 17
In South Korea, nations meet in final round to address global plastic crisis
Uruguay's conservative candidate concedes hard-fought presidential runoff to left-wing challenger
South African dissident writer and poet Breyten Breytenbach dies at 85
Bihar a failed state: Prashant Kishor tells Bihari diaspora in US
Daulat Bi Khan, acid attack survivor and complainant in the case alleged, "The police have failed to arrest the accused because of her high-profile background. They refused to divulge details about the investigations, Ria's bail application has been rejected, then why has she not been put behind bars?" Khan also runs an NGO, which is called Acid Survivors Saahas Foundation. In her complaint, she had alleged Sharma raised funds for acid attack survivors through her NGO using details and pictures without their consent.
Lalitaben Bansi, another complainant said, "The accused Sharma raised Rs1.1 lakh on my name but never gave me the money. She has managed to escape arrest two months after the FIR was filed. This raises suspicion on the police's investigation." Officials from Bandra police station did not respond to the complainants' allegations and refused to divulge details of the investigations so far.
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
