A bench headed by Justice R.M. Lodha also asked all Chief Secretaries to file response on providing free-of-cost treatment, including plastic surgery, to acid attack victims.
Every few days, there are reports of acids being thrown at some girl in some part of this vast country. Two sisters had acid thrown on them by a landlord for their inability to pay rent on time. Another girl was attacked similarly by her teacher whose amorous overtures she had rejected.
Laxmi Aggarwal spent eight years hiding her face, which was disfigured by a man who had hurled acid at her. But when the country exploded in outrage over a gang rape on a bus last year, she had a revelation.
“So many rape survivors came out to speak in public, and their trauma was a lot like mine,” said Aggarwal, a thin-framed 24-year-old. “I did not join the protest, but the wave of anger that swept the country gave women like me some courage.”
She, along with other acid attack victims, has been lobbying the government to get relief. Few people started a website stopacidattacks.org in order to provide more voice to the acid attack victims and raise funds for them too.
In this direction, the Supreme Court of India today set a deadline of March 31 next year for state governments to frame rules for regulating sale of acid and other corrosive substances to prevent their misuse particularly by jilted lovers.
A bench headed by Justice R.M. Lodha also asked all Chief Secretaries to file response on providing free-of-cost treatment, including plastic surgery, to acid attack victims.
“We direct the Chief Secretaries of all states and the administrator of the Union Territories to comply with the direction given in the order on July 18 and frame rules in tune with model rules framed by Centre to regulate the sale of acid at the earliest and possibly by March 31, 2014,” the bench said.
It directed that whenever an FIR is lodged in an acid attack case, the SDM of the area concerned will hold inquiry into the procurement of acid by the “wrongdoer.”
In a bid to curb acid attacks on women, the apex court had earlier directed that this crime be made a non-bailable offence and had enhanced to Rs three lakh the compensation amount for the victim.
The court had said that a photo identity card containing residential address issued by authorities concerned would be required for purchasing such substances which in any case cannot be sold to a person who is below 18 years.
The bench, which was hearing a PIL filed in 2006 by Delhi-based acid attack victim Laxmi, who was then a minor, had also passed a slew of interim directions on various issues, including sale of acids.
“We direct that the acid attack victims shall be paid a compensation of at least Rs three lakh by the state government concerned as an after-care and rehabilitation cost for such victims,” the court had said.
The court had also said that out of the compensation amount of Rs three lakh, Rs one lakh will be paid within 15 days of bringing to the notice of the state government the occurrence of the attack.
“Acid attacks are a senseless crime” – This was the view of Subrata Ghosh, a Kolkata based activist who has been trying to raise funds for the reconstructive surgery that another acid attack victim needs to undergo to fix her disfigured face.
We hope that the government takes sincere steps and brings stringent laws in place so that no one dares to attack women with acids.
