Acid to be regulated like poison
To prevent rising incidents of acid attacks, especially against women, the sale of acids will be regulated by strict guidelines and the strength of the harmful substance to be sold in retail would be reduced, the Centre informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The government’s response came a week after the Supreme Court had slammed it for not acting on regulating the sale of acid in the country despite the increasing number of deadly acid attacks.
Solicitor-General Mohan Parasaran, appearing for the Centre, told a bench comprising Justices R.M. Lodha and S.J. Mukhopadhya that acid would be treated as “poison” and that the ministry of home affairs has framed the Poisons Possession and Sale Rules, 2013, in consultation with the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers as per the statutory power accorded under the Poisons Act of 1919.
Referring to some provisions of the new rules, Mr Parasaran said acid would be sold only by a licence-holder who will either be a firm or a company or would be under supervision of an accredited representative or such firm or company. He said acid will be sold only to a person above 18 years of age upon production of a photo identity card and proof of address.
Following the submission, the SC deferred its order until Thursday on a PIL filed by an acid attack victim in 2006. A minor then, she was attacked with acid by three men near Tughlaq Road in New Delhi as she had refused to marry one of them.
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