Odisha acid-attack survivor marries long-time friend, recalls journey to ‘best day of her life’

ACID attack survivor Pramodini Roul tied the knot with her fiance Saroj Kumar at her residence in Jagatsinghpur on Monday.The wedding was solemnised at Kanakpur in presence of her family members and 20 acid attack survivors of Chhanv Foundation.

Pramodini, who suffered a brutal acid attack by a spurned lover in 2009, was under treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital for five years. Her face was disfigured, she lost her vision and the attack left her paralysed. It was during her treatment at SCB in 2014 that she met Saroj, a medicine representative, who helped her heal and overcome the trauma. After recovering, Pramodini joined the Sheroes wing of Chhanv Foundation which works to empower acid attack fighters. On Valentine’s Day, 2018, the two decided to get engaged at Sheroes where she started her first job and a new life. Sahoo is back to being a medicine representative now.

Her attacker Santosh Kumar Bedanta, a former paramilitary jawan, and his accomplice Biswajit Dalsinghray who assisted him in purchasing acid were arrested in 2017 for Jammu and Kashmir and Nayagarh respectively.

“In a society where the face of a girl is given more importance for marriage, I could never dream of it. I wanted to marry with the consent of my family and my boyfriend’s family and it happened,” said Roul after the wedding concluded.