Delhi police arrested Akil Khan on Monday, revealing a Delhi University student’s alleged acid attack was fabricated. Khan, the student’s father, used toilet cleaner to stage the incident. His motive was to frame a rival, Jitender, whose wife had previously accused Khan of rape.
Staged Attack Uncovered
On Sunday morning , a 20-year-old second-year BCom student from DU’s Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board claimed an acid attack. She named three men: Jitender and his two relatives, Ishan and Arman. The student alleged the attack occurred on her way to an extra class.
Police investigators quickly found inconsistencies. The student de-boarded her e-rickshaw about 300 meters from her college destination. She then allegedly applied toilet cleaner, brought from home in her bag, to her hand. She then screamed for attention. The liquid was later confirmed to be ordinary toilet cleaner, not acid.
Jitender, a painter, maintained his innocence. Police confirmed he was in Karol Bagh, approximately 5 kilometers from the alleged crime scene, at the time of the incident. The motorcycle allegedly used in the crime also appeared to be in Karol Bagh. Furthermore, no traces of acid were found at the spot, and CCTV footage showed no attackers. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team found no discarded acid bottles in the area. The student’s brother could not be contacted for the investigation.
Father Faces Rape Allegations
Akil Khan’s arrest stemmed from the fabricated acid attack and a related rape allegation. Jitender’s wife had accused Khan of sexual assault and blackmail between 2021 and 2024 . She reported working in Khan’s socks factory, where he sexually assaulted her. Khan allegedly blackmailed her using private photos and videos. This matter was reported at the Bhalswa Dairy Police Station, but no written complaint was filed at the time.
Police questioned Khan after initial discrepancies in the student’s statement emerged and Jitender’s alibi was confirmed. Khan confessed to fabricating the acid attack story using toilet cleaner. He was subsequently arrested for creating the false incident and for his alleged involvement in the rape case.
Long-Standing Disputes Revealed
The fabricated attack is linked to a history of legal and personal disputes between Akil Khan’s family and Jitender’s family. In 2018 , Shabnam, mother to Ishan and Arman (the student’s named accomplices), accused Akil Khan of rape. That matter remains sub judice.
Police also revealed a long-standing property dispute in outer Delhi’s Mangolpuri between the two families. In the same year, 2018 , Shabnam alleged another acid attack, this time by Akil Khan. An FIR was filed at the Mangolpuri Police Station regarding that incident.
Ishan and Arman, identified by the student as her attackers and described as distant relatives, are currently in Agra with their mother, Shabnam. They are expected to join the police investigation soon.