An 11-year-old from Ahilyanagar was left screaming on a lonely road, her face burning, her bicycle lying behind, and a village asking how an innocent child became a target of an acid attack. A family with no enemies and no disputes, now lives with fear they just cannot explain
Victim’s family at their Vadgaon Pan home
In a village where fear once came from the forests at dusk, it now walks the roads in broad daylight. On March 17, an 11-year-old girl cycling home from school in Vadgaon Pan was attacked with acid just minutes before she would have reached safety. There was no warning, no known dispute, no explanation. Only a child, a quiet rural road, and a moment that has left an entire community shaken.
The victim’s home, located about 4 km from her school, connected by a narrow, isolated road where the attack took place. Pics/Archana Dahiwal
Today, the questions are louder than the answers. And the voices coming from her home are not just asking for justice, they are asking how anyone is expected to live like this anymore.
The road home
>> The road she took every day is narrow and uneven. A single vehicle can barely pass. When one does, thick dust rises.
>> Fields stretch on both sides. There are long patches with no houses, no people.
>> This is where she cycled every day.
>> This is where she was attacked.
The victim’s mother with her younger son, still trying to process the moment she learned her daughter had been attacked
The police investigation
Police have formed eight teams. A sketch of the suspect has been released. Technical, forensic, and local units are searching. Citizens with information are requested to contact the police. Informants’ identities will be kept confidential.
The girl
>> She is 11. A school-going child who cycled nearly four kilometres every day. She had been going to the same school since Std I.
>> Teachers remember her as sincere, quiet, focused.
>> Now she lies in a burn ward, unable to eat solid food, her face heavily bandaged.
>> Doctors say nearly 70 per cent of her face has been affected. Two surgeries have already been done. More may follow.
The bicycle the 11-year-old used to ride to school every day, left behind on the road after the attack
The long road ahead
>> Doctors say she will likely remain hospitalised for two months.
>> She cannot eat properly yet. She is on a liquid diet. The burns are deep. The recovery will be slow.
>> But they believe she will survive.
Inside the home
Her maternal uncle, with whom she lives, tries to explain what this feels like.
“By evening, fear of tigers and leopards forces children indoors. In the past, a few children were killed in leopard attacks. And now, predators in human form are targeting our daughters openly, in the middle of the day. You tell us, how are we supposed to live like this?” He works at construction sites. A large family depends on him.
Hospital in Loni, where the 11-year-old is undergoing treatment for severe facial burns after the acid attack
“My daughters and the acid survivor go to school daily on their bicycles. After this incident, my daughters were so scared. I started dropping and picking them up. I don’t want them to sit at home. But it is not possible to manage school trips while leaving my work. After all, I have to feed the entire family.”
Anger beyond the home
The incident has shaken Sangamner. Protests broke out. Locals gathered, demanding answers and action. “This is the first incident of its kind here. The entire town stands united. We want strict punishment so that nothing like this happens again,” said local representative Kapil Pawar. Another person said, “If girls who are simply trying to study are not safe, what does that say about us?”
What happened in those moments
After the attack, the girl ran. She left her bicycle behind and rushed into a nearby house, looking for help. A woman there tried to wash her face with water, but even her own hands began to burn. The acid had already started tearing through skin. She was rushed first to a nearby hospital, then shifted to a hospital in Loni, about 30 km away.
After the incident, the school began weekend sessions where female students can speak openly with female teachers. CCTV cameras have now been installed at the entrance. Support has been strengthened, but only after something irreversible has already happened.
The attack
Date & time: March 17, around 11:45 am
Where: Kaccha road near Mahadev temple, Vadgaon Pan
What happened: Acid was thrown at a Std VI student returning from school
Aftermath: She ran for help, leaving her bicycle behind
Now: Under treatment, condition stable, but with critical injuries
Citizens with information are requested to contact the police
Police Inspector Praveen Sangle – 9665093468
Sangamner Taluka Police Station – 02425-222333
API Dnyaneshwar Katore – 9822202333
Police Sub-Inspector Mahesh Shinde – 9527039196
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