Even after the recent directions of Supreme Court for regulating acid sale, it is being sold freely in the city’s markets.
The areas where acid is being sold without any questions being asked are mostly in the southern sectors of Chandigarh including Sectors 39, 43, 44, 51, 52, and 53, Ramdarbar, Dadumajra and Maloya.
According to the recent SC guidelines, the buyer would have to show identify proof to purchase acid and a record of acid purchasers would be maintained by the shopkeeper. But, acid bottles are purchased easily without any identity proof sought by the shopkeepers.
The Pioneer reporters went to a number of shops across the city to check the sale of acid. While the shopkeepers in Grain Market Sector 26 refused to sell the acid bottles saying that the acid will be sold in bulk only following SC directions, the shops in other sectors were seen flouting the directions. The Pioneer reporters easily purchased a small bottle of acid for Rs20 only.
Notably, to put a stop to the growing number of acid attacks, the Supreme Court had recently set a three-month deadline, asking the Centre and states to undertake necessary changes under the Poison Act, 1919 to make the sale and purchase of acid in violation of the rules a non-bailable offence. The sellers will have to disclose stock to authorities and will be fined Rs50,000 for undeclared stockpile.
According to SC guidelines, sellers must demand the identity proof, residential address, telephone number and purpose of purchasing acid, from the buyer. Acid sold in retail must be so diluted that it does not have any corrosive effect on humans. Shopkeepers will have to maintain a daily record of buyers and quantity of acid sold. Also, acid will not be sold to anyone below the age of 18 and only licensed shopkeepers will be allowed to undertake the sale of acid.
Chandigarh has also witnessed cases of acid attacks in the past few years. In a conviction in an acid attack case last week, a local Court had awarded seven-year imprisonment to two youths after holding them guilty of attempt to murder.
The victim Neha, working as a sales service associate in a Mall at Industrial Area, Phase 1, was seriously injured in an acid attack near the Sector-28 traffic lights on November 27, 2011. Neha, the resident of Burail, was walking along with colleague Nirmal when the two convicts riding a motorcycle threw acid on them.
The convict Amandeep, who was riding the pillion, threw the acid he was carrying in a steel glass while another convict Shyam was driving the motorcycle.