Kollam police arrested a 43-year-old man on Sunday for pouring acid on his wife while having a verbal spat with her.
According to the police, Puthoor native Shekharapillai -a balloon vendor- poured acid on his wife Rathi Devi's face and lower abdomen, after harbouring growing suspicions about her fidelity.
Police say that the attack happened in the wee hours of Saturday. 40-year-old Rathi Devi reportedly ran out of the house after her husband poured acid on her face and lower abdomen in the middle of a quarrel.
The couple were reportedly not on good terms for the past few months, with Rathi Devi living separately from her husband, along with her two children. It is after the intervention of the neighbours that Rathi Devi returned to her husband's house on Thursday.
Hearing Rathi Devi’s cries for help, neighbours and relatives rushed her to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College where she has been undergoing treatment for burns since Saturday morning. Rathi Devi is yet to be discharged from the hospital, say police.
Shekharapillai who was absconding since the attack was arrested from a hospital in Kollam, where he had gone to seek medical help after having himself sustained minor burn injuries during the scuffle, said Puthoor sub-inspector VP Sudheesh, while speaking to The News Minute.
A case has been registered against the husband under Section 326 (A) for causing grievous acid injury. He will be produced in court on Monday.