Acid case: Maneka asks police to speed up probe

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Police were yet to make any arrestin the case of a minor girl from south Delhi allegedly forcedto drink acid by unidentified persons, even as Union ministerManeka Gandhi today said she has directed a senior officer tospeed up the investigation. The girl, a Class X student in Kalkaji, had complained ofstomach pain after reaching school on Wednesday morning. The school authorities had then informed her mother andtook her to a hospital from where she was later discharged andtaken home in Sangam Vihar. However, two hours later, the mother took her toSafdarjung Hospital and alleged that she was forced to drinkacid by unidentified men near her school, who were harassingand stalking since the past one month, a police officer said. The police also suspect that the girl might have consumedsomething herself "under depression". Prima facie, it was not a case where the girl was forcedto drink acid. There were no external injuries on the girl’sbody and she is fully conscious and is talking with hermother, police had yesterday said. A senior official at Safdarjung Hospital, when contactedtoday over reports that only her lungs were affected by theacid, said, "It depends on whether the girl ingested orinhaled it. Also, if a very small quantity of the liquid isconsumed, it may slip through the windpipe and to the lungs,instead of going to the food pipe." Meanwhile, Union Women and Child Development MinisterManeka Gandhi today tweeted, "We have directed ACP Kalkaji tospeed up investigation, in order to ensure swift justice forthe child." Another police officer said, "The girl’s statement wouldbe recorded in couple of days time. Since her lungs have beenaffected, the recovery is slow. And, it will be recorded onceshe is a position to do so." PTI KND SLBSMN