Srinagar court sentences acid attack accused to life imprisonment

Srinagar: Two years after a woman was attacked with acid in old city Srinagar, a local court has sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and has also imposed a fine of Rs 40 lakh on him.

The Court in its decision on March 4, had convicted Sajid Altaf Sheikh after finding him guilty for commission of offence under section 326-A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

As Jawad Ahmed, Principal District and Sessions Court, Srinagar, pronounced the quantum of punishment in a jam packed court, a collective sigh of relief echoed through the courtroom. Besides sentencing the accused to life imprisonment, the Court also imposed Rs 40 lakh fine on Sheikh.

The victim, according to prosecution, underwent 23 surgeries and more than Rs 48 lakhs were spent on her medical treatment. Coming from a poor family, the then 24-year-old victim worked in a beauty parlor to support her father, who is a tailor.

It was around 6 pm on February 1, 2022 when suddenly her world turned upside down. She was on the way home when the accused threw acid on her face. The crime had sent shock waves across Kashmir with people demanding stern punishment to the accused.

In the fast court trial, the accused has been awarded punishment in just two years. The charge sheet was prepared in a record time of three weeks by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

“During the course of investigation, it came to light that the victim had rejected the marriage proposal of the accused”. This angered the accused and he decided to "teach her a lesson" and "conspired to take revenge from the victim".

Earlier in August 2023, in a similar case, two accused had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Srinagar court for throwing acid on a law student in 2014.