Vijayawada: The woman who was attacked with acid on the National Highway at Gudavalli on Friday night died early on Saturday due to a serious head injury. The victim, Pratipati Rani, 28, was a resident of Telaproulu village in Ungturu mandal and was working as a nurse at Keerthi Hospitals in Gannavaram. On Friday, Rani, the mother of a three-year-old girl, came to Vijayawada along with her friend Katari Rajesh, 25, for a medical check-up. The duo started for Gannavaram on a motorcycle and reached the Barath Benz showroom near Gudavalli when two persons hurled semi-concentrated sulphuric acid at them.
 
“First, they threw acid on me. As I sped away, they targeted Rani, so I stopped the motorcycle and Rani started running towards the roadside”, said Rajesh in his complaint to the Gannavaram police. After she  was chased for a few meters, she jumped into the fields and hit a stone causing serious injury to her head, police said.
 
She was rushed to a government hospital in the city and later to a private hospital where she went into coma. She died early on Saturday.
 
The attack is suspected to be an outcome of illicit affairs. The victim, after parting with her husband, was reportedly in a  relationship with another man. Among the few names that have come up in relation with the acid attack on P. Rani, one is that of Kiran, who runs a photo studio in Gannavaram. However, the victim’s mother has accused another of Rani’s friend, Rahesh, who was present on the spot when the incident took place.
 
Meanwhile, Rani’s husband P. Babu Rao, who is a farmhand and native of Yelladam village in Mylavaram mandal, was taken into custody by the police. Cops are questioning Babu Rao to find out whether he had hatched the plot to kill his estranged wife.
 
Police also suspect Kiran to be behind the acid attack.  Sources said that Rani who was staying away from Babu Rao was moving close to Kiran as well as Rajesh who also lives near Gannavaram. Rani and her husband had approached the courts seeking divorce and the case is pending. Cases were registered under Sections 326A, 307 and 34 of IPC.