SC takes strong note of acid attack cases
Taking strong note of acid attack cases, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked all States and Union territories to provide a slew of information, including the year-wise details of the number of such cases and their status in courts, besides the rehabilitation measures to support the victims.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi asked states and UTs to provide information about the number of cases in which charge sheets are filed in trial courts. They will also have to provide information about the number of cases decided or pending at the trial court levels.
Seeking the details in four weeks, the bench asked them to also provide information about the number of appeals filed in appellate courts, including the High Courts, in such cases. The bench asked them to also provide brief particulars of each victim, her academic qualification, employment and marital status and the medical treatment and the expenses incurred or to be incurred. It also asked states and UTs to provide details about the rehabilitation scheme for such victims.
The bench also asked them to provide details of the cases where victims are forced to ingest acid. The CJI asked the Centre to mull changes in law to ensure that convicts are awarded “extraordinary” punishment for indulging in acid attacks. The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Shaheen Malik, who herself is an acid attack survivor.
Malik is seeking expansion of the definition of disabled persons under the law to ensure that the victims who suffered life-threatening damages to their internal organs due to forced ingestion of acid get adequate compensation and other reliefs, including medical care.
