Bihar: Jeweller’s wife arrested for 'throwing acid' on 2 women in Madhepura
Madhepura (PTI): Police on Thursday arrested a woman for allegedly throwing acid on a mother-daughter duo during a dispute at a jewellery shop owned by her husband in Bihar’s Madhepura district, officials said.
The incident occurred around 11 am at Purani Bazar under the Madhepura Sadar police station area.
According to a statement issued by the district police, the victims had gone to the shop to collect jewellery for which they had reportedly paid an advance in 2022.
An altercation broke out when the shop owner, accompanied by his wife and daughters, allegedly asked them to return after six months to receive the jewellery.
During the argument, the accused allegedly sprinkled acid on the two women in a fit of rage, police said.
Both of them sustained minor injuries and are undergoing treatment, they said.
An FIR has been lodged based on a complaint by a family member of the victims.
In his complaint, he claimed that he had paid Rs 25,000 in 2022 to Vinod Kumar, the shop owner, with the understanding that jewellery would be provided at the then prevailing rate when his sister’s marriage is fixed.
With the wedding scheduled for March 26, his mother and sister had visited the shop on Wednesday and again on Thursday to collect the jewellery after being earlier asked to return the next day, according to the complaint.
However, when they demanded the jewellery on Thursday, the shop owner allegedly told them to come back after six months, it stated.
“The accused persons allegedly abused the women and, in a fit of rage, took out acid from the shop and sprinkled it on them, leaving both injured,” the police statement said.
The shop owner is absconding, and search is underway to trace him, police said.
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Hormuz Strait disruptions have caused huge economic impact, energy instability in region: Navy chief
Mumbai (PTI): The Strait of Hormuz disruptions have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region, Indian Navy chief Admiral D K Tripathi said on Thursday amid the war in West Asia.
Speaking at an event where INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, set sail from Mumbai as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar, the admiral said competition at sea has no longer remained confined to oil and energy.
It is now expanding towards resources that will shape future growth - such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data, he said.
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 after a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Iran's strikes on its neighbours along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the world's energy supplies with effects far beyond West Asia.
"With the conflict in West Asia well into its fifth week, the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region," Tripathi said.
There is significant increase in the marine survey, deep-sea research activity, and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), often encroaching upon the sovereign rights of littoral nations and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement, he said.
Alongside these, threats such as piracy, armed robbery and narco-trafficking backed by unimpeded access of advanced technology to non-state actors, have also become more complex and challenging to counter, the Navy chief pointed out.
Last year alone, the Indian Ocean Region witnessed a staggering 3,700 maritime incidents of varying nature, the admiral said.
Additionally, narcotics seizures in the region exceeded USD 1 billion USD in 2025, highlighting the persistence and spread of such challenges in the region, he said.
