Mangaluru, 4 March

Three girl students suffered burn injuries after an acid attack by a youth at a government pre-university college in the taluka headquarters town of Kadaba in Dakshina Kannada district on Monday, police said.

The youth has been identified as Abin Shibi, 23, hailing from Nilambur in Malappuram district of Kerala, said a police official. During interrogation, Shibi told police that one of the victims had spurned his amorous advances, and he took this "extreme step to show his disappointment in love."

The attacker told police officials he had targeted only the girl, who suffered third degree facial burn injuries in the attack. But the acid also spilt over the other two students who were sitting close to her, he claimed. "The two other girls have sustained minor burn injuries", a senior police officer said.

"The girls have been shifted to a private hospital after the incident, which took place when they were preparing for the Pre-University Course (PUC) exams sitting in the corridors of the college," the official said.

The youth, wearing a mask and cap to conceal his identity, approached them with a bottle and threw acid. Based on preliminary investigation, the police had earlier said he is from Kasaragod district of Kerala. "The attacker wore school uniform and had gained entry into the school premises as a student and carried out the crime", the official said. "We are investigating as to who gave him the uniform".

He tried to escape after the attack but the local people who were witness to this incident chased and apprehended him and handed him over to the police. "The victims were taken to the Kadaba government hospital but the doctors there advised the families to shift them to Mangaluru for better treatment as the burn (suffered by one of the victims) was extensive," the official said.

Kadaba police are investigating.