Raise compensation for acid attack victims: SC

Expressing concern over continuing acid attacks on women, the Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre and state governments on a plea for raising the compensation to the victim from Rs 3 lakh to 10 lakh and bear all medical expenses for corrective surgeries.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice R M Lodha and Justices Kurian Joseph and R F Nariman said, “The situation is pathetic. Such incidents still continue to take place."
The court said that there should not be any laxity in dealing with such cases.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for NGO Parivartan Kendra sought direction to the governments for framing rehabilitation policy for acid attack victims. He contended that the state governments had failed to ensure speedy justice and fair compensation to the acid attack victims.

The Bihar-based NGO sought setting up of burn ward in every hospital and direction to private hospital not to turn away such attack victims.

Hearing a separate matter, the Supreme Court had last year fixed a deadline of March 31, 2014 for all the states and Union Territories for framing rules to regulate the sale of acid and passing the necessary notification.

The court had directed for declaring the crime as a non-bailable offence and had enhanced compensation to Rs three lakh for the victims.