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Preeti Rathi murder: Death for India acid attack convict | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A man in the Indian city of Mumbai has been sentenced to death for a fatal acid attack on a woman at a busy railway station three years ago, in what is being seen as a legal landmark. | |
Preeti Rathi, who was 23 when she was murdered, had just arrived from Delhi to join the Indian navy as a nurse. | |
Her neighbour Ankur Panwar attacked her after she rejected a marriage proposal. | |
It is the first such sentence for an acid attack in India. Many such attacks go unpunished, campaigners say. | |
Panwar, 25, was convicted of murder and other offences at a special court in the city on Tuesday. He is likely to appeal against the verdict in a higher court. | |
On Thursday, the special court said that the crime fell within the "rarest of rare" category which justified the death penalty. | |
Ms Rathi, who suffered severe injuries to her lungs and eyes in the attack on 2 May 2013, died a month later. | Ms Rathi, who suffered severe injuries to her lungs and eyes in the attack on 2 May 2013, died a month later. |
A month after her death, India's Supreme Court ordered federal and state governments to regulate the sale of acid. | A month after her death, India's Supreme Court ordered federal and state governments to regulate the sale of acid. |
The court ruled that acid could only be sold to people who showed a valid identity card. However, critics say that it is still widely and easily available. | The court ruled that acid could only be sold to people who showed a valid identity card. However, critics say that it is still widely and easily available. |
According to government figures, there are hundreds of such attacks a year; but campaigners say the real figures are much higher. | According to government figures, there are hundreds of such attacks a year; but campaigners say the real figures are much higher. |