NEW DELHI -- Two men riding a motorcycle threw acid on a woman in a crowded neighbourhood in New Delhi, causing serious injuries, police said Wednesday.

The attack was captured on closed-circuit TV and was being investigated, police officer Suresh Chand said. It took place Tuesday when the two masked men rode past the woman in a crowded shopping area and brazenly flung acid at her face.

Chand gave few other details, but news reports said the woman suffered serious burns to her face and her right eye. The men also stole her purse before fleeing.

The attack, in a busy part of the Indian capital, highlights the attacks and harassment women face in India.

While the nation keeps no official statistics on acid attacks, there are regular reports in the media of attackers targeting victims to disfigure or blind them, often because of spurned sexual advances.