53-year-old arrested after acid attack on minor girl in Kerala’s Wayanad

A 14-year-old girl suffered severe burns after her neighbour allegedly attacked her with acid in Wayanad district of Kerala, the police said on Saturday (January 17, 2026).

The accused, Raju Jose (53), a resident of Priyadarshi Unathi, Marakavu, Pulpally, has been arrested.

According to the police, the incident occurred on Friday evening. The police said there were “multiple issues” between the neighbours that led to the incident.

The accused had recently asked the girl to give him her Student Police Cadet (SPC) uniform, which she refused.

The victim was first taken to a nearby government hospital and later shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for further treatment.

She suffered around 40% burns, including injuries to her face, a police officer said.

The accused fled the scene after the attack but was arrested early Saturday morning.

He is being interrogated to ascertain the exact motive behind the attack, police said.

He is set to be produced before the court.