BAREILLY: Even as the gory incident of the last week that saw two sisters being set ablaze and succumbing to their injuries was yet to be wiped out from public memory, unidentified persons attacked two teenage sisters with acid in their sleep on the intervening night of August 21-22 at Tanda Saadat village under Nawabganj police station of the district.

Both sisters — Sabina, 17, and Rabina, 15 — were rushed to a primary health centre in Nawabganj with 65% and 40% burn injuries, respectively. In the morning, however, they were shifted to the burns ward of the district hospital. But, with their condition deteriorating and both are said to be critical, they are now being shifted to the Lucknow civil hospital.

Their two brothers — Abdul Hasan and Yakub — were also injured in the incident as they tried to save them.

According to the victims’ father Mohammed Nabi, all family members woke up hearing their scream for help. Their brothers, who were sleeping in the adjacent room, too, ran for their help and got themselves injured in the course, he said.

Senior police officials, including senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jogendra Kumar, SP (crime) Ramesh Bhartiya and SP (rural) reached the spot in the morning to take stock of the situation.

Following Nabi’s complaint, an FIR was lodged against unidentified accused under sections 326 A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid etc), 336 (act endangering life and public safety of others), 307 (attempt to murder) and 452 (house trespass after preparation of hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Nawabganj police station.

The SSP told TOI, “Police are investigating the case. The victims’ father has raised suspicion on a couple of neighbours, following which we have detained some of them.” The motive behind the incident was yet to be ascertained, he added.

The family has, however, categorically denied that the incident was a consequence of some personal issues of either of the sisters. “Both sisters used to stay indoors and they never complained of any harassment,” Nabi, a daily-waged labourer, told TOI.

The incident took place days after two sisters, Gulshan and Fiza, were set ablaze in their sleep in Devraniya Jagir village of Bareilly on August 10. Both sisters succumbed to their injuries on August 13 and 15, respectively. Two stalkers, who used to harass the younger sister, were arrested and sent to jail.

The horrific incident triggered outrage with members of civil society across party lines joining a sit-in, Azadi Satyagraha, to protest gruesome incidents of crime against women, including the sensational murder of Ballia teen Ragini Dubey by her stalkers recently.