Delhi’s Acid Attack Was Staged: How Revenge Led a DU Student and Her Father to Fake the Crime
What initially appeared to be a horrifying acid attack on a Delhi University student has been exposed as an elaborate hoax orchestrated by the student and her father, Aqeel Khan. The incident, which sparked public outrage and prompted swift police action, has now taken a dramatic turn with the arrest of Khan and the revelation that the "acid" used was, in fact, toilet cleaner.
On October 26, 2025, a 20-year-old B.Com student claimed she was attacked near Laxmi Bai College in Ashok Vihar while en route to class. She alleged that Jitendra, along with his friends Ishan and Arman, hurled acid at her from a motorcycle. The student stated she tried to shield her face and sustained burns on her hands.
However, inconsistencies in her account quickly emerged. Investigators discovered no forensic evidence of acid at the scene, and CCTV footage and call detail records placed the accused men far from the location of the alleged attack. Police were also puzzled by the fact that the student de-boarded her e-rickshaw 300 meters away from her destination.
During interrogation, Aqeel Khan confessed to masterminding the fake attack with his daughter to falsely implicate Jitendra, Ishan, and Arman, against whom he harbored personal grudges. He revealed that his daughter poured toilet cleaner on her hands to simulate acid burns.
Khan's motive stemmed from a sexual harassment and blackmail complaint filed against him by Jitendra's wife just two days before the alleged attack. The woman, who worked at Khan's socks factory from 2021 to 2024, accused him of rape and blackmail using private photos and videos. Khan allegedly plotted the fake acid attack to divert attention from the harassment case and frame Jitendra's family.
The police have now classified the case as false and are taking legal action against both the woman and her father under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for misleading authorities and wasting public resources.
This fabricated case has shaken public trust and raised concerns about the misuse of legal processes for personal vendettas. The Delhi Police are continuing their investigation, and further questioning of relatives and gathering of corroborative evidence is underway.
