Victims of acid attacks will now be paid a minimum compensation of Rs 3 lakhs by the government, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, directing that acid attack be made a non-bailable offence and that the sale of acids be regulated by strict rules.
A bench headed by Justice R.M. Lodha said that out of the total amount of `3 lakhs to be given as after-care and rehabilitation cost for such victims, the first instalment of `1 lakh will have to be given withing 15 days of the incident and the remaining amount within two months. Earlier, the compensation paid to victims of such attacks used to vary up to a maximum amount of `50,000, which the apex court on Thursday termed as “grossly inadequate”.
The apex court also directed states and Union Territories to frame within the next three months rules to regulate sale of acids and other corrosive substances and make acid attack a non-bailable offence. “It cannot be overlooked that acid attack victims need to undergo a series of plastic surgeries and other corrective treatment. The solicitor-general suggested that the compensation amount to be paid by states to acid attack victims must be enhanced to at least `3 lakhs. The suggestion is very fair. We accordingly direct that the acid attack victims shall be paid a compensation of at least Rs three lakh by the state government concerned as an after-care and rehabilitation cost for such victims,” the bench said.
“The chief secretaries of respective states and administrators of each Union Territory shall ensure compliance of this order expeditiously and frame rules within three months after receiving the model draft rules from the Central government,” the bench said. It also asked the Central and state governments to work together and make the necessary rules under the Poison Act, 1919 to make acid attack a non-bailable offence.
The top court also upheld the Centre’s suggestion banning sale of acid to minors, and that it can be sold only by licence holders to a person who provides a copy of a valid identity.