As Deepika Padukone’s Chhapaak hit the cinema halls, we bring you the shocking details of the real incident that inspired the movie.
The movie is inspired by the real life-story of Laxmi Aggarwal, who fought for her millions of acid attack victims across the globe. If you want to know who really attacked Laxmi, then read further.
What Exactly Happened?
Laxmi Aggarwal’s scars may have healed but it would take ages to heal the pain that the heart-wrenching incident laid on her. She was a mere 15-year-old girl when Naeem Khan, or “Guddu”, a man double her age plotted a horrific acid attack to “teach her a lesson” for rejecting his marriage proposal.
Sadly, Laxmi paid for the indulgence shown by her family to Naeem Khan, or “Guddu” who used to visit her house. In fact, Laxmi’s mother Radha was
very fond of him. It is not only shocking but heartbreaking that no one in her family realized the danger posed by an increasingly obsessive Guddu.
So, it was obvious that when police revealed to Laxmi’s mother that Guddu was behind the acid attack, she was stunned.
Over time, Guddu developed a liking for Laxmi but the affair was one-sided. He would call her and send her messages.
As per the police:
“When the mobile records were scanned, we found that Guddu had sent her messages on two nights before the attack. In the first, he expressed anger for she never called him. The next night, he told her he loved her.”
But Lakshmi did not reciprocate and Guddu decided to take revenge.
The attack was planned well in advance as the plotters met before to carry it out.
Naeem and his brother Imran set out early in the morning to meet Imran’s “friend” Rakhi. Guddu and Rakhi sat on the Hero Honda and drove to Humayun Road and started waiting for Laxmi.
Being unaware of her fate, Laxmi was walking down the road after finishing a conversation over her cellphone.
As she neared their bike, Rakhi got off, pushed Laxmi and threw acid on her face, breaking the glass containing the acid in the process. As Laxmi struggled in pain, the culprits escaped.
According to the police, Laxmi in her statement identified not only Naeem but also said she had seen the other woman somewhere. Lakshmi had apparently met Rakhi at a family function.
“According to Laxmi’s and Guddu’s statements, Rakhi is the one who actually threw the acid,” an investigating officer shared with ToI. Rakhi is a divorcee with three school-going children and is living with Naeem’s brother.
It is disheartening to see how Laxmi paid the price to show her courage and say ‘NO’. As Laxmi has come a long way, her journey has been an inspiration to many acid attack survivors.
You can read how Laxmi turned around her life and became an inspiration to millions here.
