SC bats for punitive measures for convicts in acid attack cases

Batting for “extraordinary” punitive measures for convicts in acid attack cases, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to consider amending the law to sternly deal with such cases on the lines of dowry death matters, where the onus of proving innocence lies on the accused.

- MPOST BUREAU

The top court also asked all states and Union territories to provide a slew of information, including the year-wise details of the number of acid attack cases, 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.

The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Haryana-based Shaheen Malik, who herself is an acid attack survivor.

Besides various reliefs, she 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.