After battling for her life for nearly 43 days, Varsha Gotiya has succumbed to injuries sustained in an acid attack, turning the case into a murder investigation. The attack took place in Sokhada village near Rajkot and stemmed from a dispute over a failed engagement.
The Kuvadava Road Police, who had arrested the accused, will now add murder charges to the case.
The accused, Prakash Sarvaiya, had been engaged to Paras, Varsha’s cousin. However, after Paras eloped and married another man, Sarvaiya became enraged.
He repeatedly visited Varsha’s home, demanding to know her cousin’s whereabouts and arguing with the family.
On January 21, Sarvaiya confronted Varsha’s family once again, accusing them of hiding the location. During the altercation, he threw acid from a steel container at Varsha.
Her young daughter was present at the time but narrowly escaped injury. Varsha suffered severe burns to her head, chest, thighs, and back. Sarvaiya fled the scene, leaving her critically injured.
She was rushed to a private hospital in Rajkot, where she remained under treatment for over a month. Upon learning of the attack, a local police team, led by Inspector B P Rojiya, registered a case and arrested Sarvaiya, who was remanded in judicial custody.
“The accused was initially arrested and sent to judicial custody. With the victim’s death, we are now adding murder charges to the case,” said Inspector Rojiya.
The investigation is ongoing.
