The incident occurred on Wednesday in Burari area and the official said that they have apprehended the accused.

According to police, an FIR under section 326(b) and 341 of the Indian Penal Code ( IPC) was registered at Burari police station, after a minor girl reported that on Wednesday at around 1 p.m. she had gone to pick up her 10-year-old cousin from the school.

At the spot, Shastri Park Extension, the girl was approached by the youth who threw a chemical on her, causing itching and irritation on her eyes, neck, and nose.

“The victim was taken to the government hospital in Burari, where she was discharged after receiving treatment,” said a senior police official.

The victim, however, had no reported history of personal animosity, spurned advances, or any romantic involvement with a boy, making this incident appear as a blind case. Unfortunately, there were no surveillance cameras at the site of the crime.

“To solve this case, multiple teams were mobilised. One team focused on profiling the victim, examining her social media history, past contacts, and other relevant details. Another team was tasked with reviewing CCTV footage from the six roads leading to the crime scene, creating a temporal map of the possible routes taken by a suspect,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, North, Manoj Kumar Meena said.

The third team, in plain clothes, positioned themselves near schools armed with the provided clues.

“The accused was described as wearing blue trousers, a white handkerchief mask, a backpack, an Adidas track upper, and sports shoes,” the DCP said.

After careful scrutiny, the CCTV team identified a boy running away from the scene of the crime about ten minutes apart, roughly a kilometre away.

“Although the face was not visible, the boy matched the description provided,” said the DCP.

Investigating the victim’s Instagram account revealed five suspects who had been in contact with her. Despite examining all the suspects, no breakthroughs were made.

“A slow-motion video was prepared using the footage of the fleeing suspect, providing additional information for the teams. From the schools in the area, two were shortlisted for surveillance based on the available clues.

““The accused was followed and nabbed,” said the DCP, adding that he confessed to the crime.

“Evidence, including the caustic powder used in the attack, a water solution, a small bottle, clothes, bag, and the handkerchief mask, were recovered. The tracksuit upper with the Adidas logo was also found,” said the DCP.

In preliminary examination, the suspect expressed a general dislike towards girls and claimed to have chosen the victim at random. “He did not know the victim,” the official added.