Teenager burns friend’s face amidst petty argument

A petty argument between two sixteen-year-olds in Andheri West escalated into violence on Tuesday, leaving one with severe facial burns after the other threw sanitizer and ignited it. The victim, who now requires surgery, was rushed to the hospital

MUMBAI: A petty argument between two sixteen-year-olds in Andheri West escalated into violence on Tuesday, leaving one with severe facial burns after the other threw sanitizer and ignited it. The victim, who now requires surgery, was rushed to the hospital. The alleged offender, a minor, was detained by DN Nagar police on Wednesday.

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The incident unfolded on Tuesday evening when the victim, out with friends, returned home in distress with burn marks on his face. According to the victim’s grandmother, he recounted watching videos on a mobile phone with friends, sneezed in the direction of one of them, and faced a harsh rebuke for not covering his mouth.As per the information given by the police, the boy on whom the victim had sneezed went home after that, changed his clothes and came back with a bottle of sanitizer.

“He poured the sanitizer on his sneezing friend, then set it on fire with a lighter, inadvertently igniting the victim’s hoodie,” explained a DN Nagar police officer. A fellow friend helped douse the flames, and the injured teenager was taken home.

The victim, treated at Cooper Hospital, faces the prospect of surgery, prompting multiple visits for further evaluation. The accused teenager, charged under section 326 A (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc) of the Indian Penal Code, is currently held at a correctional facility. The victim’s family reported the incident to the police, leading to the detention of the alleged perpetrator.