What led to Resham Khan and her cousin Jameel Muhktar enduring a random acid attack during the woman’s 21st birthday while driving? No arrests made.
Twenty one year old East London woman, Resham Khan and her cousin, Jameel Muhktar have both been left with ‘life changing’ burns after acid was thrown through the windows of their car as they celebrated Khan’s birthday.
The attack, seemingly random led to Khan a student and her cousin both suffering severe burns to their face and bodies in the June 21 attack. While Khan has maintained consciousness, her 37 year old cousin was induced into a forced coma as the man’s progress continues to be monitored.
According to the UK’s Sun, the pair’s world were forever changed as they waited for traffic lights in Beckton when a man unbeknownst to either cousin suddenly attacked them with acid.
First the man threw acid through Khan’s passenger window side before running across and pouring acid on Muhktar.
Writing on social media, the 21 year old business management student said she had come to London with plans to visit a spa and have a meal to celebrate her birthday. Khan said she and her cousin had gone for a drive in the morning, ‘blasting music and chilling like cousins do’.
Khan said the pain from the attack was ‘excruciating’ and while observing her clothes ‘burn away in front of me’.
At the time of the attack, Khan had recently returned from an exchange year in Cyprus.
I’m devastated. I keep wondering if my life will ever be the same. Acid attacks in the UK are unheard of for me.
— Resh (@ReshKay_) June 24, 2017
Posted Khan on social media: ‘The pain was excruciating, I was struggling to close the window. My cousin struggled to get us away. I saw my clothes burn away in front of me.’
‘He put his foot down as we were coming onto a dual carriageway but the pain took over and we crashed.’
‘We stripped off in the middle of the road, running around screaming and begging for water.’
‘We did this for 45 minutes.’
Responding to the attack, Khan said she was ‘devastated’, as she is now forced come to the bitter realization that she would ‘probably never look the same’.
To date, police have made no arrests as they continue their investigations.
A Metropolitan Police report noted that ‘The car made off pursued by the suspect on foot before it collided with a fence. The suspect made off.’
Adding, ‘Officers from Newham and the Met’s Territorial Support Group executed a warrant at an address in E16 on the afternoon of 21 June in connection with the incident. There were no arrests; enquiries continue.’
To date police have not said what may have motivated the acid attack that is normally directed at woman in Pakistan and India for the purposes of defilement or revenge. Such attacks are understood to be extremely rare in the United Kingdom.
A friend has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of treatment.
