‘Acid attack survivors face long hardship’: Allahabad High Court slams state for not rehabilitating woman after 9 years

Previous proceedings

• During the earlier proceedings in February, the court had noted that the petitioner was only 24 years old when she faced the acid attack and had received compensation of Rs 6 lakh, which it described as a ‘meagre amount’ considering the lifelong hardship, disability and impact on her prospects, including married life.
• The Allahabad High Court had also observed that over nine years had passed since the incident, yet little appeared to have been done for her rehabilitation.
• Nothing more has been done by the state government for her rehabilitation despite judgements passed by the Supreme Court previously and asking the state government to frame a comprehensive policy, the court noted.
• It then directed the principal secretary of the state government to file a comprehensive affidavit to apprise the court about the policy or guidelines thus framed.
• The Allahabad High Court also sought information on actions taken to rehabilitate the petitioner.

‘Urgent attention’

• In the subsequent hearing, the court, however, found the response unsatisfactory, adding that the affidavit was “not proper” and did not “meet the queries of the Court.”
• The bench directed the principal secretary to file a better affidavit addressing the concerns raised.
• The matter is serious and requires “urgent attention”, the court remarked.
• It warned that if the affidavit did not properly state the steps taken by the government to provide adequate compensation and rehabilitation, it would be constrained to summon the additional chief secretary (home) for a solution.
• The matter was then directed to be listed as the first case on April 30.

‘Gender-based violence’

In another case, the Allahabad High Court upheld a man’s conviction for carrying out acid attacks that led to the death of two women, observing that acid attacks are a form of gender-based violence.

A bench of Justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary made the observation while partly allowing the appeal filed by a man, and affirmed his conviction while modifying the sentence from life imprisonment to a fixed term of 14 years of rigorous imprisonment.

“Acid attacks in India predominantly target women and young girls, with perpetrators almost always men, making it a form of gender-based violence. The Hon’ble Supreme Court has time and again has taken the offence of acid attacks, which are on increase, very seriously,” the court noted on February 12.

The Allahabad High Court also emphasised the need for providing medical aid before lodging a First Information Report (FIR) in all such acid attack cases and in cases where urgent medical help is required, such as accident cases.