Hina Fathima, the 22-year-old housewife from Mysore was reportedly made to drink sulphuric acid mixed with liquor by her husband Fairoz last week. The manufacture and sale of the acid, under the Posions Act, 1919 is controlled.

Sulphuric acid, along with  six other acids, can be sold only to licensed dealers. “But they can sell it to anyone. There’s no regulation on that,” said Drug Controller, Government of Karnataka, Sripathi Rao. He added that all the seven acids mentioned under the Poisons Act are highly corrosive and their sale should be regulated to check their misuse.

Easy availability of acid has resulted in manic attacks on vulnerable women. All the acid attack victims are women. So far, since 1999, sixty women in Karnataka have been victimised by acid, thrown at them by spurned lovers or spouses. Of them, four have succumbed to  injuries.

The first case recorded by Campaign and Struggle for Acid Attacks on Women (CSAAAW), a conglomeration of voluntary organisations and individuals, was of Hasina, whose ex-boss Joseph Rodriques threw acid on her in 1999 and devastated her for the rest of her life.

Haseena got some relief from the Karnataka High Court, who in August 2006, granted life sentence to Rodriques and enhanced her compensation from Rs three lakh to Rs five lakh. “The Court also directed the State to provide for the treatment and rehabilitation of all the acid attack victims — a task that has still not been initiated. The government proposed that they would keep aside Rs one crore for this, an amount which may not be sufficient for the treatment of 60 scarred and maimed women,” said Sushma, secretary, CSAAAW.

Along with others, three commercial sex workers have also been victimised by acid attacks in Karnataka. Two of them were attacked by gangsters and one by her partner. One of them has turned into a pimp as she no longer can entertain clients. “They didn’t file a police complaint because of fear of these rowdies,” said Vijay Kumar, secretary, Society for People’s Action for Development (SPAD).

Acid attacks are registered under Sections 320 (causing grievous hurt using chemicals) and 326(causing grievous hurt) and Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. 

“The accused in acid attacks should be booked under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and should be given equivalent punishment,” said State Women’s Commission chairperson Pramila Nesargi.

CHILLING FACTS
*All acid attack victims are women in their early age (between 16 and 25), and were attacked by men known to them. Most attacks took place in public places or at home. Medical treatment is prohibitively expensive and by their admission, out of bounds.

*Why acid attacks? “Men do it out of revenge. They don’t want to kill; instead they want their victims to suffer disfigurement and humiliation for the rest of their lives. In the early 1900s men used to chop off the nose or ear of women, to ‘teach them a lesson” says Dr P K Devdass, HoD, Forensic Medicine, Victoria Hospital.

WHAT THEY SAY...
Hang my husband Fairoz. He destroyed my life and that of my children by throwing acid on me.
Hina Fathma (22), Mysore

I was completely burnt by acid thrown at me by my ex boss Rodriques in 1999. My face was transformed into a lump of flesh. My parents have sold their house and have spent Rs nine lakh on my treatment.
Haseena Hussain (27), Bangalore

I’m a married woman with three children. I was burnt by acid in 2000, thrown by Kumar at the behest of Chand, the son of Mahakrupa Acid Company. I lost one eye and my husband disowned me.
Noorjahan (32), Bangalore

I lost one eye after my landlord threw acid on me, in 2001.
Dr Mahalakshmi, (38) Gynaecologist, Mysore

My husband threw acid on my face in 2001. It destroyed my eye and dissolved my earlobe. My neck needs support.  I am a mother of two children and jobless.
Shanthi (34), Mysore

I lost one eye after my neighbour Raghu threw acid on me in 2002.
Shruthi (21), Bangalore

My face, hands and legs are half burnt after I asked my father’s customer Indoodhar Basappagowda, to repay our loan of Rs 2000. He threw acid on me in 2003.
Gita Naik (20), Sirsi
(Source: CSAAAW)