Udupi: Police have arrested a man accused of throwing acid on his house owner following a dispute over the return of a rental security deposit in Udupi. The injured house owner, Naveen Kumar, a resident of Budnaru in Kunjibettu, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Manipal.
The arrested accused has been identified as Suresh Acharya, who was reportedly a tenant on the first floor of Naveen Kumar’s house in Vishnumurthy Nagar. The dispute allegedly arose after the tenant vacated the rented premises and demanded the return of his security deposit of Rs 20,000.
According to the complaint lodged by Naveen Kumar, the disagreement over deductions from the deposit escalated into a violent confrontation, culminating in an acid attack and an alleged attempt to assault him with a sword.
Dispute over Rs 20,000 security deposit
According to the complaint, Suresh Acharya had rented the first floor of Naveen Kumar’s house in Vishnumurthy Nagar. After staying there for some time, the tenant vacated the premises and sought the return of the security deposit of Rs 20,000 paid at the beginning of the tenancy.
However, Naveen Kumar reportedly found that the tenant had damaged certain portions of the rented property, including the walls and taps.
He informed Suresh Acharya that the expenses incurred towards repairing the damage, along with two months’ rent, would be deducted from the security deposit before the remaining amount was returned.
The tenant reportedly objected to the proposed deductions and insisted that the entire Rs 20,000 be refunded.
The disagreement over the amount to be returned subsequently escalated, with the accused allegedly threatening that he would not let the matter go.
Accused allegedly attacked house owner at shop
According to Naveen Kumar’s complaint, Suresh Acharya later arrived at his shop and created a scene over the security deposit dispute.
The accused allegedly threw acid at Naveen Kumar before attempting to attack him with a sword. Realising the danger, Naveen Kumar managed to hide himself and escape the alleged sword attack.
However, the acid thrown at him caused burn injuries to several parts of his body.
The incident has raised concerns over the escalation of an ordinary financial disagreement into a violent attack. What began as a dispute over deductions from a rental deposit allegedly resulted in serious injuries to the house owner.
Victim suffers burns on multiple body parts
Naveen Kumar sustained burn injuries to his right hand, waist, abdomen, feet and face in the attack.
He was subsequently shifted to a hospital in Manipal, where he is undergoing treatment.
The extent of the injuries and the fact that several parts of his body were affected have added to the seriousness of the incident.
Police arrest accused, seize materials
Following the incident and the complaint lodged by Naveen Kumar, the police arrested Suresh Acharya in connection with the acid attack.
Police have also seized the items allegedly used in the crime from the accused as part of the investigation.
The arrest is expected to facilitate further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack, including the sequence of events leading to the confrontation and the alleged use of acid and a sword.
The incident highlights the importance of resolving tenancy-related financial disputes through appropriate legal channels rather than resorting to threats or violence.
While disagreements over security deposits, property damage and rental deductions can lead to disputes between landlords and tenants, residents have expressed concern over the alleged violent turn taken in this case.
The police are continuing their investigation into the incident.