Bengaluru witnessed the highest number of acid attacks against women in the country in 2022, with the city police registering six cases, according to the latest report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

Among the 19 metropolitan cities listed in the NCRB data, Bengaluru recorded eight women falling prey to acid attacks last year, followed by Delhi with seven women, and Ahmedabad recorded five cases, according to NCRB.

One of the prominent cases of acid attack which shook Bengaluru last year was that of a 24-year-old M.Com graduate who was attacked on April 28 when she was on her way to work by a man aged 27. According to the police, Nagesh, who stayed as a tenant at the woman’s uncle’s house for seven years, was stalking her, and continued stalking her even after he was asked to vacate the house, reports The Indian Express.

The woman, who worked at an office in Sunkadakatte on Magadi Road, was climbing the stairs to her workplace when Nagesh splashed acid on her from behind. As she fell on the ground, he continued to pour acid over her wearing gloves even as she screamed for help.

The man was nabbed later in May from Tiruvannamalai Ashram where he was allegedly hiding in the guise of a “Swami”. In June 2023, the victim was offered a job on a contract basis by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office at his secretariat.