The Supreme Court has blasted the government for its non-serious approach to frame a strong policy to contain sale of acid with a view to prevent acid attack cases. The development comes as there have been an increases in acid attacks in many parts of the country of late, with the latest being the Delhi nurse who fell victim to the heinous crime at the Bandra railway station earlier this year. Taking a serious note of the recent incidents, a bench headed by justice RM Lodha said people are dying every day due to acid attacks but the Centre has failed to frame a policy despite assurance given by it on the last hearing on April 16.
"Seriousness is not seen on the part of the government in handling the issue," the court said, and gave a week's time to the Centre to frame policy in consultation with states. "People are dying, but you are not worried about it. Think of people who are losing their lives every day. Girls are being attacked everyday in different parts of the country," the bench said.
It can be noted that after fighting for her life for nearly two months, a Delhi nurse died in Mumbai in May after an acid attack at the Bandra railway station, as she alighted there from Delhi to join the Army hospital. It also said, "with heavy heart this court had passed order in April, but the government failed to come out with any scheme to curb sale of acid in the market.
The bench made it clear that if the Centre fails to come out with such a scheme on the next date of hearing, July 16, then it would pass orders. On April 16, the apex court had said it will wait for the Centre and the states to explore ways to regulate sale of acids for domestic use before it imposes a ban on the chemical.
Earlier, on February 6, the court had directed the Centre to convene a meeting of chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories in six weeks for enacting a law to regulate the sale of acids and a policy for treatment, compensation and care and rehabilitation of such victims.
The bench had said that for evolving such a policy, the chemicals and fertilisers secretary, and his counterparts from the states would be involved.
The court was hearing a PIL filed in 2006 by Delhi-based acid attack victim Laxmi, who was then a minor. Her arms, face and other body parts were disfigured in the acid attack. In her plea, Laxmi had sought framing of a new law or amendment to the existing criminal laws like IPC, the Evidence Act and CrPC for dealing with the offence, besides asking for compensation.
Laxmi was subjected to acid attack by three youth near Tughlaq Road in the Capital as she had refused to marry one of them, according to the petition. The trial is going on for the offence of attempt to murder and two of the accused are out on bail. In her petition, she had pleaded for a total ban on sale of acid as there are increasing number of incidents of such attacks on women in different states.
The petitioner had also submitted that even a small country like Bangladesh had taken measures to prevent such attacks.
On July 2, last year, the apex court had asked the Centre to apprise it of the measures to regulate the sale of acid to prevent its misuse as a weapon, particularly against women. The court had asked the Union home ministry on April 29 last year to coordinate with the states and Union Territories for formulation of an appropriate scheme.
The apex court had also sought responses of the Centre and states on whether any suitable scheme can be prepared by them to provide adequate compensation to the victims for their treatment and rehabilitation.
